Copyright in the UK

[HenryJonesJr]

Does anyone have any expertise / knowledge for copyrighting songs in the UK? As far as I can tell, there doesn't seem to be an explicit method (i.e. do the following and your material is copyrighted) - instead the copyright is a priori yours upon completion of the work, and it's simply a matter of being able to prove that you are the writer of the piece of it ever comes to court.

Now I'm familiar with the poor mans copyright (mail it to yourself), but are there any more robust UK-based methods anyone knows of? Also, I've just been reading that, in the USA, a chord / lyric sheet is not enough, and that you can only copyright melody; is this the same in the UK?

Cheers guys

[Ryan]

[HenryJonesJr]

[TripleM]

Someone around here is bound to know this. In the US you register your copyright with the US Library of Congress. There are several different forms you can use. You fill it out, pay your fee, and mail it in. I imagine there is something analogous in the UK.

All knowledge in the world is contained in Dafduc's head. He's got to know. Maybe he'll be by.

[outlawg]

[Almy]

I had the UK one bookmarked recently, but I guess I deleted it sometime after :/. One nice thing about the UK is you can get copyrights done online, can't in the USA yet. Assuming I've listened to the right people that is .

Anyway, this is the google hit that might be it. http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/

It doesn't ring a bell so not sure what page I had bookmarked.

[Almy]

Hmm, then again might want to check this page before I give bad ideas I've heard from other people:

http://www.patent.gov.uk/copy/c-claim/c-auto.htm

[almostfamous]

[Almy]

As many songs as you can cram into a CD as far as I know. Seems like it's something around $45 per CD, which covers everything on it. You should double check that information though, my memory is pretty bad!

[almostfamous]

i have "poormancopyrights"where you mail it back yo yourself=)So..whats upi with your memory as far as copyrighting goes.you just mail the music and the lyricyand the notes right.Iwould assume a live recording would help as well.From what i have heard alot of people have had songs stolen in the pas.So almy what kinda stuff do you write and how long?

[almostfamous]

[Almy]

I forgot to mention I was talking about the US. So I don't know anything about the UK if you were wondering about that.

From what little I know intellectual property is yours as soon as you record it or write it down. The step after that is basically registering it for proof. In the US that means getting it to the Library of Congress.

I have a friend who just sends it to himself in the mail, but I honestly don't know how well that holds up in court. I would really hate to tell someone it's ok to just do that...especially if a problem ever occured.