help!

[highlite80]

i'm kinda new to this beat makin my beats are ill and i've sold a few (for good money)the problem is i dont know how to go about copywriting my material so all the beats i've sold up to now i've basiclly givin all rights to the artist who bought them.
some one told me go to the library of congress since i live in dc.
i'm just wondering if there is a cheaper alternative to copyrighting than the lawyers (90-185 dollars is the range i've seen)?

[inrctyhoodmusic]

get some copywrit forms of the internet print them up and send them of with a cd and they'll send you something back...Or you can go with the poor mans copywrite , mail some beats to yourself but don't open it and if someone jerks you that mailed unopened package is submicable in court because it's post dated

[Fade]

This is a very good resource for all the legal stuff, by Wendy Day:
http://www.rapcointelpro.com/

[Copenhagen]

Why do people call it 'poor man's copyright'? I'd call it 'smart man's copyright'...why pay the lawyer to have it archived etc when you can send it to yourself and just hire a lawyer if/when the beat gets stolen.

[highlite80]

thanks for all the advice,the "poor mans copyright" seems like theres too many legal loop holes though has anyone sucsessfully done this in a court of law?

where do i go to get the online forms?

[Fade]

U.S. Copyright Office: http://www.loc.gov/copyright/

[Guevara]

the poor mans copywright does not hold up in court, did we just talk about this

[Copenhagen]

Originally posted by Guevara
the poor mans copywright does not hold up in court, did we just talk about this

Uuumh...how come? I see no reason why it doesn't...even KODA ,or I think it's called BMI in america (the people who pay you if your tracks have received airplay etc), recommend you to just do the 'poor man's copyright'...

[highlite80]

with the poor mans copywrite a lawyer could easily say you mailed an open envolope and put the cd in at a later date,somehow opened the envolope without damaging it and then resealed it,you have to remember you are innocent untill proven guilty,but i could be wrong

[milLion]

they say to stray away from poor man's -- just spend the 30 some odd bucks and do it right

[Copenhagen]

Hmmn...ok. I think I need to get KODA to wrap it for me...I even think it's free and that they pursue the culprit if I can't afford a lawyer...

[Guevara]

word, its only 30 bucks, and its guilty until proven innocent...remember that

[highlite80]

JUST CURIOUS WHAT IS THIS "KODA,BMI" STUFF YOU KEEP TALKIN BOUT, TOLD YOU I JUST STARTED BOUT 18 MONTHS AGO?

[Copenhagen]

I think KODA is called BMI in the US...but anyway, here you pay a little amount to become a member of KODA. KODA get's money from radio Stations and other places that play music to crowds etc...and they pay it to those artists who have gotten airplay e.g. some of the more famous artists get's millions a year. Also, everytime you have a full song or just a text or beat...you fill out this form and send it to them and they wrap it with the date
...copyright etc. They also give out money to music projects...usual amount is approx. $4650...which you can use for CD-copying, distrbution, studio time etc if you're a new artist. They do lots of other stuff too...

[changalang]

Originally posted by inrctyhoodmusic
get some copywrit forms of the internet print them up and send them of with a cd and they'll send you something back...Or you can go with the poor mans copywrite , mail some beats to yourself but don't open it and if someone jerks you that mailed unopened package is submicable in court because it's post dated
so if email myself some beats and dont open it then its a "poor mans" copywrite :eek:

[inrctyhoodmusic]

no it's not regular mail is postdated and it's handled by the fedaral government

[afriquedeluxe]

Originally posted by inrctyhoodmusic
no it's not regular mail is postdated and it's handled by the fedaral government

registered mail?