To register non-electronically, you'll need to compile your songs onto disc or submit your album. For any songs or sound recordings that you made public and published, you'll need to submit two copies. Unpublished songs and sound recordings you want to protect before you publish it only need one copy. The Copyright Office needs to know whether a song has been published since it affects how they file your material. Of course, if you later publish a work you registered originally as unpublished, you're to update them by filling out the same form, referring back to the previous registration, and paying another fee. As a result, we usually wait until we've published the music.

In general, they want one song submitted per filing. Obviously, this can get rather expensive. You can save money if you bundle and submit multiple songs on one CD, but only if all the songs on the CD are:

• either all published or unpublished; and
• if all are written by the same author(s) or at least has one author in common to all the songs you'll be registering.

You cannot mix and match published and unpublished songs or songs with different authors because they have no way of tracking this within their system. Bundling multiple songs in one is known as a submitting a "collection." Instead of writing your song titles as the title of the work on the form, you'll need to make up a collection name that summarizes all the songs you're submitting. For example, "Beatnik Turtle Songs Collection 1A."

Most importantly, if you decide to make a collection, make sure you write down and save a list of what songs you put on that collection, as you will need this for Step 6. The Copyright Office doesn't have a method to tell you what you submitted in a collection beyond what you submit to them. They simply take your paperwork and CD, stamp the date on it as to when it was received, perform some other menial bureaucratic stuff, and then file it. They never listen to or look at your CD ever again. They have no idea what's on it and like all good governmental workers, don't care.

STEP 2: Fill Out The Appropriate Form (PA and/or SR)

As we discussed, in any recording of a song, there's two copyrights: one for the song and one for the sound recording. "Form SR" is for registering the sound recording while "Form PA" is for the song. Each filing incurs a fee.

It's possible you may register more song copyrights than sound recording copyrights since you may want to protect song demos and ideas. Most sound recording owners wait to register only those sound recordings where the music and lyrics are completely finalized, the song's been fully recorded, and it's ready to be or is published.

As the author of the work, you'll need to fill out the forms in your name. Don't use your band's name. After all, to the government, you're an individual with certain inalienable rights. Your band isn't unless a band agreement is in place and you've gone through the legal process of registering it as a legal entity with the state or province. If that's what you did, read the band agreement or return to the attorney or accountant that assisted you in doing this and ask them what entity (if any) should copyright the songs and sound recordings you make. 

Instructions are included on the forms to assist you in filling them out. You will need to fill everything out correctly, otherwise the Copyright Office will send it back to you asking for more information. In our experience, their response time can be months before they even get to your paperwork. A mistake only takes longer to get registered.

STEP 3: Mail The Forms, Materials, And Money In To The Copyright Office

Send all the necessary materials (checking one more time to make sure everything is filled out correctly) plus the registration fee to the Copyright Office. We recommend sending it via registered mail with return receipt so you can confirm they received your package.

STEP 4: Sit Back and Wait

As long as you filled everything out correctly, submitted the requisite number of CDs, and your check doesn't bounce, you should expect a copy of the form you filled out stamped and returned to you via snail mail anywhere between two to six months. Do not expect your CDs back since they remain on file.

STEP 5: Document & Verify

Once registered, you'll receive a stamped copy of the SR or PA form you submitted. You will not receive your CDs back since they remain on file. Save the returned PA or SR Form as proof of when you registered the copyright. Put it wherever you put your other important documents. After all, this is evidence of your intellectual property. At this time, if you're so inclined, you can head to the Copyright Records Page on their website and look yourself up on their system, secure in the knowledge that you not only have enhanced statutory rights but also have helped support the Copyright Office and its employees.

STEP 6: If You Submitted A Collection, Fill out Form CA

In order to list out all the songs and authors you bundled in the collection you submitted, you'll need to fill out "Form CA." Form CA allows you in Part C "Amplification" to write out the list of songs and songwriters you made in step 1. By doing so and filing this form, the Copyright Office will be able to list all the song titles and know what's on the collection you submitted. As with steps 3 to 5 above, you'll need to mail the form, wait a few months, and verify everything's correct once this form's been filed and returned to you.

This article based on information from http://www.copyright.gov/eco/index.html. You can now register electronically by following the previous link.

To register non-electronically, you'll need to compile your songs onto disc or submit your album. For any songs or sound recordings that you made public and published, you'll need to submit two copies. Unpublished songs and sound recordings you want to protect before you publish it only need one copy. The Copyright Office needs to know whether a song has been published since it affects how they file your material. Of course, if you later publish a work you registered originally as unpublished, you're to update them by filling out the same form, referring back to the previous registration, and paying another fee. As a result, we usually wait until we've published the music.

In general, they want one song submitted per filing. Obviously, this can get rather expensive. You can save money if you bundle and submit multiple songs on one CD, but only if all the songs on the CD are:

·        either all published or unpublished; and

·        if all are written by the same author(s) or at least has one author in common to all the songs you'll be registering.

You cannot mix and match published and unpublished songs or songs with different authors because they have no way of tracking this within their system. Bundling multiple songs in one is known as a submitting a "collection." Instead of writing your song titles as the title of the work on the form, you'll need to make up a collection name that summarizes all the songs you're submitting. For example, "Beatnik Turtle Songs Collection 1A."

Most importantly, if you decide to make a collection, make sure you write down and save a list of what songs you put on that collection, as you will need this for Step 6. The Copyright Office doesn't have a method to tell you what you submitted in a collection beyond what you submit to them. They simply take your paperwork and CD, stamp the date on it as to when it was received, perform some other menial bureaucratic stuff, and then file it. They never listen to or look at your CD ever again. They have no idea what's on it and like all good governmental workers, don't care.

STEP 2: Fill Out The Appropriate Form (PA and/or SR)

As we discussed, in any recording of a song, there's two copyrights: one for the song and one for the sound recording. "Form SR" is for registering the sound recording while "Form PA" is for the song. Each filing incurs a fee.

It's possible you may register more song copyrights than sound recording copyrights since you may want to protect song demos and ideas. Most sound recording owners wait to register only those sound recordings where the music and lyrics are completely finalized, the song's been fully recorded, and it's ready to be or is published.

As the author of the work, you'll need to fill out the forms in your name. Don't use your band's name. After all, to the government, you're an individual with certain inalienable rights. Your band isn't unless a band agreement is in place and you've gone through the legal process of registering it as a legal entity with the state or province. If that's what you did, read the band agreement or return to the attorney or accountant that assisted you in doing this and ask them what entity (if any) should copyright the songs and sound recordings you make. 

Instructions are included on the forms to assist you in filling them out. You will need to fill everything out correctly, otherwise the Copyright Office will send it back to you asking for more information. In our experience, their response time can be months before they even get to your paperwork. A mistake only takes longer to get registered.

STEP 3: Mail The Forms, Materials, And Money In To The Copyright Office

Send all the necessary materials (checking one more time to make sure everything is filled out correctly) plus the registration fee to the Copyright Office. We recommend sending it via registered mail with return receipt so you can confirm they received your package.

STEP 4: Sit Back and Wait

As long as you filled everything out correctly, submitted the requisite number of CDs, and your check doesn't bounce, you should expect a copy of the form you filled out stamped and returned to you via snail mail anywhere between two to six months. Do not expect your CDs back since they remain on file.

STEP 5: Document & Verify

Once registered, you'll receive a stamped copy of the SR or PA form you submitted. You will not receive your CDs back since they remain on file. Save the returned PA or SR Form as proof of when you registered the copyright. Put it wherever you put your other important documents. After all, this is evidence of your intellectual property. At this time, if you're so inclined, you can head to the Copyright Records Page on their website and look yourself up on their system, secure in the knowledge that you not only have enhanced statutory rights but also have helped support the Copyright Office and its employees.

STEP 6: If You Submitted A Collection, Fill out Form CA

In order to list out all the songs and authors you bundled in the collection you submitted, you'll need to fill out "Form CA." Form CA allows you in Part C "Amplification" to write out the list of songs and songwriters you made in step 1. By doing so and filing this form, the Copyright Office will be able to list all the song titles and know what's on the collection you submitted. As with steps 3 to 5 above, you'll need to mail the form, wait a few months, and verify everything's correct once this form's been filed and returned to you.

This article based on information from http://www.copyright.gov/eco/index.html. You can now register electronically by following the previous link.

To register non-electronically, you'll need to compile your songs onto disc or submit your album. For any songs or sound recordings that you made public and published, you'll need to submit two copies. Unpublished songs and sound recordings you want to protect before you publish it only need one copy. The Copyright Office needs to know whether a song has been published since it affects how they file your material. Of course, if you later publish a work you registered originally as unpublished, you're to update them by filling out the same form, referring back to the previous registration, and paying another fee. As a result, we usually wait until we've published the music.

In general, they want one song submitted per filing. Obviously, this can get rather expensive. You can save money if you bundle and submit multiple songs on one CD, but only if all the songs on the CD are:

·        either all published or unpublished; and

·        if all are written by the same author(s) or at least has one author in common to all the songs you'll be registering.

You cannot mix and match published and unpublished songs or songs with different authors because they have no way of tracking this within their system. Bundling multiple songs in one is known as a submitting a "collection." Instead of writing your song titles as the title of the work on the form, you'll need to make up a collection name that summarizes all the songs you're submitting. For example, "Beatnik Turtle Songs Collection 1A."

Most importantly, if you decide to make a collection, make sure you write down and save a list of what songs you put on that collection, as you will need this for Step 6. The Copyright Office doesn't have a method to tell you what you submitted in a collection beyond what you submit to them. They simply take your paperwork and CD, stamp the date on it as to when it was received, perform some other menial bureaucratic stuff, and then file it. They never listen to or look at your CD ever again. They have no idea what's on it and like all good governmental workers, don't care.

STEP 2: Fill Out The Appropriate Form (PA and/or SR)

As we discussed, in any recording of a song, there's two copyrights: one for the song and one for the sound recording. "Form SR" is for registering the sound recording while "Form PA" is for the song. Each filing incurs a fee.

It's possible you may register more song copyrights than sound recording copyrights since you may want to protect song demos and ideas. Most sound recording owners wait to register only those sound recordings where the music and lyrics are completely finalized, the song's been fully recorded, and it's ready to be or is published.

As the author of the work, you'll need to fill out the forms in your name. Don't use your band's name. After all, to the government, you're an individual with certain inalienable rights. Your band isn't unless a band agreement is in place and you've gone through the legal process of registering it as a legal entity with the state or province. If that's what you did, read the band agreement or return to the attorney or accountant that assisted you in doing this and ask them what entity (if any) should copyright the songs and sound recordings you make. 

Instructions are included on the forms to assist you in filling them out. You will need to fill everything out correctly, otherwise the Copyright Office will send it back to you asking for more information. In our experience, their response time can be months before they even get to your paperwork. A mistake only takes longer to get registered.

STEP 3: Mail The Forms, Materials, And Money In To The Copyright Office

Send all the necessary materials (checking one more time to make sure everything is filled out correctly) plus the registration fee to the Copyright Office. We recommend sending it via registered mail with return receipt so you can confirm they received your package.

STEP 4: Sit Back and Wait

As long as you filled everything out correctly, submitted the requisite number of CDs, and your check doesn't bounce, you should expect a copy of the form you filled out stamped and returned to you via snail mail anywhere between two to six months. Do not expect your CDs back since they remain on file.

STEP 5: Document & Verify

Once registered, you'll receive a stamped copy of the SR or PA form you submitted. You will not receive your CDs back since they remain on file. Save the returned PA or SR Form as proof of when you registered the copyright. Put it wherever you put your other important documents. After all, this is evidence of your intellectual property. At this time, if you're so inclined, you can head to the Copyright Records Page on their website and look yourself up on their system, secure in the knowledge that you not only have enhanced statutory rights but also have helped support the Copyright Office and its employees.

STEP 6: If You Submitted A Collection, Fill out Form CA

In order to list out all the songs and authors you bundled in the collection you submitted, you'll need to fill out "Form CA." Form CA allows you in Part C "Amplification" to write out the list of songs and songwriters you made in step 1. By doing so and filing this form, the Copyright Office will be able to list all the song titles and know what's on the collection you submitted. As with steps 3 to 5 above, you'll need to mail the form, wait a few months, and verify everything's correct once this form's been filed and returned to you.

This article based on information from http://www.copyright.gov/eco/index.html.

To register non-electronically, you'll need to compile your songs onto disc or submit your album. For any songs or sound recordings that you made public and published, you'll need to submit two copies. Unpublished songs and sound recordings you want to protect before you publish it only need one copy. The Copyright Office needs to know whether a song has been published since it affects how they file your material. Of course, if you later publish a work you registered originally as unpublished, you're to update them by filling out the same form, referring back to the previous registration, and paying another fee. As a result, we usually wait until we've published the music.

In general, they want one song submitted per filing. Obviously, this can get rather expensive. You can save money if you bundle and submit multiple songs on one CD, but only if all the songs on the CD are:

·        either all published or unpublished; and

·        if all are written by the same author(s) or at least has one author in common to all the songs you'll be registering.

You cannot mix and match published and unpublished songs or songs with different authors because they have no way of tracking this within their system. Bundling multiple songs in one is known as a submitting a "collection." Instead of writing your song titles as the title of the work on the form, you'll need to make up a collection name that summarizes all the songs you're submitting. For example, "Beatnik Turtle Songs Collection 1A."

Most importantly, if you decide to make a collection, make sure you write down and save a list of what songs you put on that collection, as you will need this for Step 6. The Copyright Office doesn't have a method to tell you what you submitted in a collection beyond what you submit to them. They simply take your paperwork and CD, stamp the date on it as to when it was received, perform some other menial bureaucratic stuff, and then file it. They never listen to or look at your CD ever again. They have no idea what's on it and like all good governmental workers, don't care.

STEP 2: Fill Out The Appropriate Form (PA and/or SR)

As we discussed, in any recording of a song, there's two copyrights: one for the song and one for the sound recording. "Form SR" is for registering the sound recording while "Form PA" is for the song. Each filing incurs a fee.

It's possible you may register more song copyrights than sound recording copyrights since you may want to protect song demos and ideas. Most sound recording owners wait to register only those sound recordings where the music and lyrics are completely finalized, the song's been fully recorded, and it's ready to be or is published.

As the author of the work, you'll need to fill out the forms in your name. Don't use your band's name. After all, to the government, you're an individual with certain inalienable rights. Your band isn't unless a band agreement is in place and you've gone through the legal process of registering it as a legal entity with the state or province. If that's what you did, read the band agreement or return to the attorney or accountant that assisted you in doing this and ask them what entity (if any) should copyright the songs and sound recordings you make. 

Instructions are included on the forms to assist you in filling them out. You will need to fill everything out correctly, otherwise the Copyright Office will send it back to you asking for more information. In our experience, their response time can be months before they even get to your paperwork. A mistake only takes longer to get registered.

STEP 3: Mail The Forms, Materials, And Money In To The Copyright Office

Send all the necessary materials (checking one more time to make sure everything is filled out correctly) plus the registration fee to the Copyright Office. We recommend sending it via registered mail with return receipt so you can confirm they received your package.

STEP 4: Sit Back and Wait

As long as you filled everything out correctly, submitted the requisite number of CDs, and your check doesn't bounce, you should expect a copy of the form you filled out stamped and returned to you via snail mail anywhere between two to six months. Do not expect your CDs back since they remain on file.

STEP 5: Document & Verify

Once registered, you'll receive a stamped copy of the SR or PA form you submitted. You will not receive your CDs back since they remain on file. Save the returned PA or SR Form as proof of when you registered the copyright. Put it wherever you put your other important documents. After all, this is evidence of your intellectual property. At this time, if you're so inclined, you can head to the Copyright Records Page on their website and look yourself up on their system, secure in the knowledge that you not only have enhanced statutory rights but also have helped support the Copyright Office and its employees.

STEP 6: If You Submitted A Collection, Fill out Form CA

In order to list out all the songs and authors you bundled in the collection you submitted, you'll need to fill out "Form CA." Form CA allows you in Part C "Amplification" to write out the list of songs and songwriters you made in step 1. By doing so and filing this form, the Copyright Office will be able to list all the song titles and know what's on the collection you submitted. As with steps 3 to 5 above, you'll need to mail the form, wait a few months, and verify everything's correct once this form's been filed and returned to you.

To register non-electronically, you'll need to compile your songs onto disc or submit your album. For any songs or sound recordings that you made public and published, you'll need to submit two copies. Unpublished songs and sound recordings you want to protect before you publish it only need one copy. The Copyright Office needs to know whether a song has been published since it affects how they file your material. Of course, if you later publish a work you registered originally as unpublished, you're to update them by filling out the same form, referring back to the previous registration, and paying another fee. As a result, we usually wait until we've published the music.

In general, they want one song submitted per filing. Obviously, this can get rather expensive. You can save money if you bundle and submit multiple songs on one CD, but only if all the songs on the CD are:

·        either all published or unpublished; and

·        if all are written by the same author(s) or at least has one author in common to all the songs you'll be registering.

You cannot mix and match published and unpublished songs or songs with different authors because they have no way of tracking this within their system. Bundling multiple songs in one is known as a submitting a "collection." Instead of writing your song titles as the title of the work on the form, you'll need to make up a collection name that summarizes all the songs you're submitting. For example, "Beatnik Turtle Songs Collection 1A."

Most importantly, if you decide to make a collection, make sure you write down and save a list of what songs you put on that collection, as you will need this for Step 6. The Copyright Office doesn't have a method to tell you what you submitted in a collection beyond what you submit to them. They simply take your paperwork and CD, stamp the date on it as to when it was received, perform some other menial bureaucratic stuff, and then file it. They never listen to or look at your CD ever again. They have no idea what's on it and like all good governmental workers, don't care.

STEP 2: Fill Out The Appropriate Form (PA and/or SR)

As we discussed, in any recording of a song, there's two copyrights: one for the song and one for the sound recording. "Form SR" is for registering the sound recording while "Form PA" is for the song. Each filing incurs a fee.

It's possible you may register more song copyrights than sound recording copyrights since you may want to protect song demos and ideas. Most sound recording owners wait to register only those sound recordings where the music and lyrics are completely finalized, the song's been fully recorded, and it's ready to be or is published.

As the author of the work, you'll need to fill out the forms in your name. Don't use your band's name. After all, to the government, you're an individual with certain inalienable rights. Your band isn't unless a band agreement is in place and you've gone through the legal process of registering it as a legal entity with the state or province. If that's what you did, read the band agreement or return to the attorney or accountant that assisted you in doing this and ask them what entity (if any) should copyright the songs and sound recordings you make. 

Instructions are included on the forms to assist you in filling them out. You will need to fill everything out correctly, otherwise the Copyright Office will send it back to you asking for more information. In our experience, their response time can be months before they even get to your paperwork. A mistake only takes longer to get registered.

STEP 3: Mail The Forms, Materials, And Money In To The Copyright Office

Send all the necessary materials (checking one more time to make sure everything is filled out correctly) plus the registration fee to the Copyright Office. We recommend sending it via registered mail with return receipt so you can confirm they received your package.

STEP 4: Sit Back and Wait

As long as you filled everything out correctly, submitted the requisite number of CDs, and your check doesn't bounce, you should expect a copy of the form you filled out stamped and returned to you via snail mail anywhere between two to six months. Do not expect your CDs back since they remain on file.

STEP 5: Document & Verify

Once registered, you'll receive a stamped copy of the SR or PA form you submitted. You will not receive your CDs back since they remain on file. Save the returned PA or SR Form as proof of when you registered the copyright. Put it wherever you put your other important documents. After all, this is evidence of your intellectual property. At this time, if you're so inclined, you can head to the Copyright Records Page on their website and look yourself up on their system, secure in the knowledge that you not only have enhanced statutory rights but also have helped support the Copyright Office and its employees.

STEP 6: If You Submitted A Collection, Fill out Form CA

In order to list out all the songs and authors you bundled in the collection you submitted, you'll need to fill out "Form CA." Form CA allows you in Part C "Amplification" to write out the list of songs and songwriters you made in step 1. By doing so and filing this form, the Copyright Office will be able to list all the song titles and know what's on the collection you submitted. As with steps 3 to 5 above, you'll need to mail the form, wait a few months, and verify everything's correct once this form's been filed and returned to you.