Ask a Music Lawyer: Is the Poor Man’s Copyright Enough to Protect Your Songs?

A work that meets the standards of originality is considered to be copyrighted under United States law when that work is “fixed in any tangible medium of expression,” (17 U.S. Code §102) which means that the work is put into a physical medium that can be reproduced, like writing it…

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How Do You Prove That Someone Stole Your Song?

A lot of musicians email me claiming they have great cases for copyright infringement. Copyright infringement does happen, but there are more people who think they have a case than those who actually do. (Please note that I am not a litigator and the below explanation is only a general overview of the…

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Benefits of Copyright Registration

Many people wonder about the benefits of copyrighting their music with the United States Copyright Office. Registration of a copyright is not required for your work to be protected by copyright, however, there are certain benefits and protections of the law that you will only get with registration. For example, you cannot file…

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