Music Copyright Law

So who doesn't want to get their songs played on the radio? And who doesn't want to win a Grammy award someday for best original song, or best album, or best new artist for that matter? But for those of us brand-new in this business, there's just a whole lot to learning about music copyright law. Now that I'm trying to write my own songs, I guess there's no better time to get an education about the ins and out of this rather nebulous arena.

Learning when and where music copyright law goes into effect is the place to start. Since the first writing I did was just penning new tunes to two- and three-hundred year old hymns at church, I didn't really have much to worry about. I was using lyrics that were public domain (sort of like "Happy Birthday" -- when it's public domain, you can sing someone else's tunes or lyrics without winding up in jail), so I didn't have to worry about protected rights.

Using these types of songs and lyrics is the way to go for beginners, but I've advanced beyond that point now. I'm trying to write my own stuff, and I don't want someone else getting credit for it, which is why I needed to find out how music copyright law works.

Music copyright law protects composers, publishers, and arrangers from having their work stolen or tampered with in any way. In essence, United States music copyright law guarantees that the creator/owner of the original material has the exclusive rights to that material as long as they're alive, plus 50 years! For songs written before 1978, the decided-on time frame is 75 years. That way, the creative folks that penned their own songs and lyrics get all the credit for them, as well as any monetary gain from their sale or broadcast. It's a pretty terrific system, if you ask me.

The best way to protect what you've written, what some call your "intellectual property," is to register what your songs or lyrics with the appropriate government agency. A good attorney is really worth your time in this regard, even if it's just in the capacity of advising you on how and where to start.

The web is full of resources and references for music copyright law, including some well-known sites that can give you step-by-step information on safeguarding your work, all of which can be done online. And you can find attorneys who specialize in our business (that's where I found my lawyer).

So I'm glad that I did a little bit of homework, and I'm hoping that when Steven Spielberg decides to use what I've written as the soundtrack for his next summer blockbuster, I'll be ready to sit back, relax, and watch those lovely royalty checks flow right into my mailbox!