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 Copyright Copyrighting your masters We are able to copyright your production masters with the US Copyright office for a fee of $55 per album. This is for your protection. However, registration is not a requirement for your work to be protected under United States Law. Be aware that anything created after January 1, 1978, is automatically protected in the United States by an assumed copyright, as soon as it is "fixed" in a copy or recording for the first time. Your work will also be protected in all countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention. If you don't transfer the copyright to someone else, it will last 70 years past your date of death. It is however a good idea to always add a printed copyright notice on your lyrics and recordings. Use a © symbol for written lyrics and  symbol for any sound recordings. You can also simply type out the word, i.e.: Copyright 2007 Take Two Productions MAC: Create © using Option-G WINDOWS: Create © using ALT 0169 Copyright Termination Getting back your copyright Anything copy-written prior to January 1, 1978 Anything copy-written on or AFTER January 1, 1978 US Copyright Law Everything you ever wanted to know about copyright laws About Copyright Ownership and Termination Protect Your Masters With a Signature It is always a good idea to get a signed clearance from anyone who works on your productions. A clearance will ensure you won't run into problems later if your master is used publicly. YOU are responsible for making sure you have obtained all vocal and musician performance clearances. For your protection please consider having all performers you hire sign a clearance form at the time of their performance. Musician Release Form California Form Tennessee Form Co-written Works http://www.internetmedialaw.com/articles/agmts.pdf Royalties Statutory Rates Disclaimer: Please be aware that we are not attorneys and any information contained here is meant to be a resource only and is not intended as legal advice. Laws vary widely from state-to-state and are continually changing. This page is intended to help with research and education for musicians. For specific legal advise and questions on contracts please consult an entertainment attorney. |
