music

Do I need an attorney to help with music and sound recording licensing matters?

It is not mandatory to have an attorney represent you in music and sound recording license matters. You may represent yourself in music and sound recording licensing matters. Music and sound recording regulations, requirements and procedures are detailed and complex, however, so the assistance of a competent attorney can be very beneficial.

Do I need an attorney to help with music and sound recording licensing matters? Read More »

Can I record and sell a cover version of another person’s song without their permission?

Yes, a compulsory license to make and sell a cover version of another person’s song exists, subject to some conditions. The Copyright Act allows anyone to make a recording of a cover version of a nondramatic musical work, but the owner of the copyright in the musical work must have the first chance to do

Can I record and sell a cover version of another person’s song without their permission? Read More »

What is a “mechanical license”?

A mechanical license is a license to make and distribute copies of a recording of a musical work.

What is a “mechanical license”? Read More »

What is a “compulsory license”?

A compulsory license is a statutory license that allows anyone to use a particular kind of copyrighted work without the owner’s permission, provided a fee is paid and prescribed legal procedures are followed. One of the more popular compulsory licenses is the statutory license to make and distribute copies of a recording of a cover

What is a “compulsory license”? Read More »

What are statutory licenses?

A statutory license is a license to make specified uses of certain kinds of copyrighted works that Congress grants in a statute. The statute may specify the terms of the license, such as a requirement to pay a royalty and the manner of calculating the amount of the royalty that must be paid. Congress has

What are statutory licenses? Read More »

Can a group of works be registered together?

Usually, copyrights must be registered individually. Sometimes, though, the copyrights in a group of works may be registered together. Unpublished works Up to 10 unpublished works can be registered together using the U.S. Copyright Office’s Group Registration of Unpublished Works (GRUW ) application. They must all be created by the same author or joint authors,

Can a group of works be registered together? Read More »

What is preregistration and is it necessary?

Preregistration is a procedure that may be available in some cases to protect against pre-publication infringement. It is optional. It is not a prerequisite to filing a copyright registration application. To qualify for preregistration, the work must be unpublished and in the process of being prepared for commercial distribution. Preregistration is available only for motion

What is preregistration and is it necessary? Read More »

What kinds of works does copyright protect?

Copyright protects original works of human authorship that have been fixed in a tangible medium of expression. The categories of works that copyright protects are: Literary works such as books, articles, essays, blog posts, stories, poems, email messages, notes, computer programs (source code, not the algorithm), etc. Music – songs, lyrics, musical compositions and arrangements

What kinds of works does copyright protect? Read More »