Many songwriters wonder if it’s really that important to worry about stolen songs.
Why bother with copyright or song registration paperwork? My music is safe as soon as I write it, right?
Well yes and no.
It is true that real copyright protection applies as soon as the original material is put into physical form. Goal…
You better be prepared to TEST when your copyright protection started!
Songs are stolen more often than people think. Cell phones make great secret audio recorders and if you’re considering the internet for your storefront… you well know how easy it is to steal things there!
And then there are the most famous cases…
That’s what happened with George Harrison. Her song “My Sweet Lord” was stolen from “ella She ella’s So Fine” (he admitted as much, albeit “by accident”, see below). Or Led Zeppelin’s lyrics to “Whole Lotta Love” taken from Willie Dixon’s “You Need Love.” Or “Dazed and Confused” taken from Jake Holmes.
And if it can happen to the greats, it can happen to anyone…
In fact, We have included 2 links towards the end of this article with a list of songs that were actually stolen. — one is a story about recently stolen material and the other is a study commissioned by UCLA about songs stolen between 2007 and 1887.
And it’s not just evil people looking for songs to steal that’s the concern. It’s important to make sure your music is copyrighted for other reasons, too. You may or may not have heard of stolen songs by accident.
Yes, you heard right. Registering the copyright to your song is very important to protect yourself against the possibility of someone stealing it, whether they want to or not.
If you think it’s impossible for someone to accidentally steal your song, just think how easy it is to find yourself humming a few bars of “something” without even remembering where you heard it (or if you ALSO heard it or just made it up in your own mind).
Even if that happens innocently, YOU DON’T WANT SOMEONE TO USE YOUR NOTES OR RIFFS IF YOU CREATED THEM FIRST.
And here are the 2 links that discuss the actually stolen songs:
CLICK HERE for a recent newspaper article on stolen song material…
CLICK HERE to read UCLA’s “Copyright Infringement Project”, which looks at some of the best known music copyright cases, from 1887 to 2007, with the ability to compare suspected stolen material so you can you can decide for yourself!
So the next time you write a song and say “why bother?” when it comes to taking precautions to copyright your song, just remember George Harrison, or Jimmie Paige, or the person who turns on their cell phone while you play…
Remember, it takes very little effort to register your songs.
ALWAYS make sure you have proof of copyright to your songs and when you created them.
ALWAYS register your music with a reputable third-party copyright registration service, or with the Copyright Office, AS SOON AFTER YOU CREATE IT!
Better safe than sorry.
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Disclaimer:
The above information is intended for general information only, not as legal advice or solicitation of legal services, and should not be relied on as such. Consult a local attorney in your area for specific legal questions about music copyright law.
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