Protecting your music through copyright, trademark, and more
The Internet is a key component of today’s music industry. Social media, websites, email lists, platforms for music promotion… music has been strongly impacted by the web, in a good way.
At the same time, however, the Internet can threaten musicians’ art with online piracy and copyright infringement.
1. Trademark
Consider having a trademark to protect your band or stage name.
2. Copyright Your Work
copyright your work, no matter what stage of your career you’re in. “Some artists think that as long as they have created their work and it’s in tangible form, then it’s copyrighted. However, it’s not necessarily so. It can happen that people, who had submitted their lyrics or beats to companies hoping for breakthrough, end up hearing those same lyrics or beats in someone else’s song! In order to make sure that nobody is going to misappropriate your music, consider registering your copyright.
There are two types of copyright:
– Copyright underlying the artwork (the song/composition)
– The copyright of the actual sound recording (for example someone performing a piece of music)
Copyrighting your music is cheaper than you think. The application to copyright one work – be it a song or an entire album – is $35 and can be submitted at copyright.gov. Organizations such as the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts can also help you with such legal matters.
3. Have a Lawyer Look at Your Contract(s)
Ok, not everybody can afford a lawyer, especially those in the early stage of their career. It’s important though, to have someone look at your contract(s) before you actually sign. Again, the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and similar organizations can provide assistance with these issues.
4. Avoid Misappropriation of Your Music Online
At this point, you may be asking yourself “how in the world could I possibly monitor every single piece of music I upload on the Internet?
A couple of recommendations for this:
“digital watermarks and Google Alerts.”
5. Don’t Forget About Your Royalties!
Protecting your music also means taking care of your music royalties. Sign up for SESAC, ASCAP, or BMI — and SoundExchange — to collect different types of royalties from your music and get paid what you deserve.
Disclaimer:
This post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice of any kind.
