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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "josh chasin" <jchasin@nyc.rr.com> |
| Subject | Re: Copyright |
| Date | Mon, 8 Sep 2003 14:01:35 -0400 |
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I'm not a lawyer, but I believe that all you have to do to copyright
something is to claim copyright. The challenge comes in proving it-- I
couldn't for example go out and copyright Sk8ter Boy because others
obviously own the copyright and can prove it. However-- if I wrote that
song 5 years ago, sent it to Avril Levigne's publishers, they wrote back no
thanks , then used it anyway-- and I can prove it-- than my copyright holds
sway.
This is where the mailing to yourself comes in. I have a cassette of a song
a friend and I wrote in 1994, about OJ Simpson. It is in a sealed,
postmarked envelope. If anyone ever records that song and claims the work
as their own, my sealed postmarked copy proves categorically that they are
in violation of my copyright.
----- Original Message -----
From: <JIMMYPRELL@aol.com>
To: <audities-owner@smoe.org>; <audities@smoe.org>
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 1:53 PM
Subject: Copyright
>
> In a message dated 9/8/03 9:01:34 AM, audities-owner@smoe.org writes:
>
> << May sound logical, but it doesn't hold up in a court of law. Here's
why:
>
> Take any tune by one of this week's latest music stars. Drop it onto a
> cassette or CDR. Put in an envelope and mail it to yourself.
>
> Now, try and sue the band/artist that released it because you have a
sealed
> document "copyrighted". >>
>
> Disagree. The situation you describe is not analagous.
>
> It's about having the earliest dated sample of the song. The band that
> actually creates the song would have earlier proof, if they bothered to
take similar
> precautions. But more to the point, if it's YOUR SONG, then nobody is
going
> to have an earlier date, so you'd be protected.
>
> I'm addressing the guy who wrote a song and wants to protect it; not
somebody
> who is looking to rip off somebody else -- the mail wouldn't work for
that.
>
> JP
>
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