The Berne Convention governs and informs laws relating to music copyright.  Under it, a musician automatically owns the right to their music as soon as it is written or recorded; this might be in the form of lyrics in a notepad, sheet music written in a book, or a track placed onto a CD, for example.

However, despite having ownership from the moment something is created, it proves nothing in a court of law should you find yourself making a claim for theft of works or copyright infringement.

Therefore, wherever you are in the world, you need to register your copyright with the relevant authority.  In the United Kingdom, this is Copyright House, while in the United States it is the U.S Copyright office.

What to Do Next

Different jurisdictions have different rules, but for all of them, you’re required to sign up and in some cases submit a fee.  A lifetime membership with Copyright House costs as little as £79, which isn’t bad if you’re planning to make a career out of writing and recording your own music and want to stay independent of recording labels.

Receiving Your Copyright

Once you’ve signed up and paid any relevant fees, you need to submit your work, whether it is lyrics, a recording, or something else, to the necessary office.  Like most things, you can now do this online, although there are still options in most locations for mailing in copies of your work, although this can increase the time it takes to award you a copyright certificate.

Your work will be checked to ensure it doesn’t copy or rip-off an existing piece of work, after which you’ll receive your copyright certificate and officially be the owner of your work.

The Berne Convention

The Berne Convention has a range of rules that govern international copyright; ensure you’re aware of everything featured within The Berne Convention so that you’re aware of how you’re protected internationally.

Should you ever feel an artist has infringed your copyright, contact a legal professional who will advise you the steps you need to take; ensure you have your original examples of the work and your copyright certificate before pursuing any claim.

Image Source: Mike Seyfang