FAQs
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How do I get my "personal" songs that I have written protected by a copyright? We do them in church and other churches use them, but I would like them
Sep 1, 2008
The short and simple answer is that the copyright on your song is secured automatically as soon as you "fix it in a tangible medium of expression;" e.g., such as a song sheet, songbook, CD, cassette, MP3, etc. No registration with the Copyright Office is required to protect your song, but there can be advantages to registering it with the Copyright Office. Although it’s not required, it is highly recommended that you include a copyright notice, consisting of the “c in a circle” ©, the year of creation or first publication, and your name or your publishing company name (if applicable) in order to notify the general public that you are claiming original authorship in the song.
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If we only use 10 seconds of a video clip or songs, do we still need to get permission?
Sep 1, 2008
Yes. The length of recording or use of copyrighted material does not necessarily affect the need to obtain permission. In some cases, it may affect the cost or rate of the license, but it does not exempt you from asking first and receiving copyright clearance. ... | Read More
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If we’re not selling the printed copies or the CDs we make, why do we have to get permission? We’re not making money on what we’re doing.
Sep 1, 2008
Whether you are selling or making a commercial profit does not affect the copyright owners five rights which are to do or authorize the use his/her copyrighted work to reproduce, make derivative works, distribute, perform and public display. ... | Read More
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How do I get permission to make photocopies of "out of print" works or arrangements of copyrighted works?
Sep 1, 2008
When a copyrighted work goes out of print and becomes generally unavailable to the public, the fact that it is “out of print” does not imply that it may be reproduced in any manner without first receiving permission from the copyright owner. As long as the work is under copyright, permission to reproduce the work must always be obtained. ... | Read More
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How do I find the publisher of a work?
Sep 1, 2008
The name of the publisher is usually included on the cover of the piece or on the copyright notice of the piece. If the publisher cannot be located with that information, there are some helpful websites you can search: The CCS CopyrightSolver database, CCLI's Song Select, ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, as well as the U.S. Copyright Office.... | Read More
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How can I tell if a work is still protected by copyright?
Sep 1, 2008
A work that is created (fixed in tangible form for the first time) on or after January 1, 1978, is automatically protected from the moment of its creation and is ordinarily given a term enduring for the author's life plus an additional 70 years after the author's death. In the case of "a joint work prepared by two or more authors who did not work for hire," the term lasts for 70 years after the last surviving author's death. For works made for hire, and for anonymous and pseudonymous works (unless the author's identity is revealed in Copyright Office records), the duration of copyright will be 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter. There's an excellent white paper on Public Domain by Cheryl Besenjak at t... | Read More
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How do I register my piece for copyright protection?
Sep 1, 2008
The Copyright Act provides that copyright protection begins at the moment the work is created. Registration with the Copyright Office is not required in order for a work to be protected under US Copyright Law. The copyright must generally be registered with the Copyright Office in Washington, DC before the copyright owner can sue an infringer. ... | Read More
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