Copyright Laws for Music and Intellectual Property

Intellectual property (IP) is a broad term that refers to the legal ownership a person has over an invention, representation or a piece of media. Copyright laws are pieces of legislation that are designed to protect any piece of intellectual property from being copied or used inappropriately. In fact, the most general connotation of copyright reflects the right to copy any portion or the entirety of the original work.
 
Intellectual property that can be covered by copyrights can include a variety of things, including:
  • designs
  • inventions
  • names
  • software
  • songs
  • written works.
Once a person owns a copyright for a specific expression or creative work, he alone has the sole right to decide how, where or even if the copyrighted thing can be used. Anything that is copyrighted will be followed by this symbol: ©. In some cases, a "c" within parentheses, which looks like (c), may also be used to denote copyrighted materials.
 
Keep in mind that different countries have unique standards for and applications of copyrights for intellectual property. In the United States, copyrights are automatically attached to new works or inventions, meaning that a person doesn't have to officially obtain a copyright from a particular government agency.
 
However, to verify that you indeed were first to come up with a given work or invention, many experts and copyright lawyers recommend that you register your works. This can serve as evidence that you are sole owner of a specific copyright should you face legal scrutiny at any later date.
 
In this section, we will explain the ins and outs of copyright laws. Our articles provide you with information on what copyright laws do and don't cover so that you understand the extent to which your music, band name, etc. is protected.

The Extent of a Copyright

While U.S. copyright laws are effective at protecting intellectual property, they do have some limitations. For example, copyright laws can only be applied to an expressed concept, rather than the concept itself. This means that, instead of copyrighting an idea, a person can only copyright some actual manifestation of that idea.
 
For example, an individual can't copyright the idea of a vacuum cleaner. Rather, he has to have a precise name and model of the vacuum cleaner before he can obtain a copyright for it.
 
In the world of music, this can mean that a band or musician can't copyright a series of chords or a phrase of music. Instead, the artist must produce a whole song before he can claim an automatic copyright. To adequately protect your music and other media created by your band, be sure that you understand the extent of a copyright.

The Duration of a Copyright

Another limitation of copyrights is the fact that they don't last forever. In fact, the duration of a particular copyright depends on a variety of factors, including whether or not:
  • the author of the work is known or is anonymous
  • the work has been published.

Similarly, the type of work being copyrighted, as well as the date of its creation, can also play a role in limiting or extending a copyright.

Because copyrights and their associated laws are complicated by nature, reading up on U.S. copyright law and consulting with experts are good ways to ensure that you retain appropriate ownership of your intellectual property. A misunderstanding of the duration of copyright laws can cause you to lose ownership of your intellectual property.
 
Resource
 
U.S. Copyright Office (July 12, 2006). How Long Does Copyright Protection Last? Retrieved December 28, 2007 from the U.S. Copyright Office Web site.