What`s the best way to protect your songs (copyrighted)?

[webpro]

What`s the best way to protect your songs (copyrighted)?

I'm Canadian and i'm looking at copyright.gov right now.

[raymondh]

What`s the best way to protect your songs (copyrighted)?

I'm Canadian and i'm looking at copyright.gov right now.

In essence: Publish them.

Before the Internet, a good approach was to record your music (onto cassette ) and then put in sealed registered post and send it to yourself. Of course when you received it, you wouldn't open it

These days, create a digital footprint, that clearly associates the track with you.
Create a twitter account, facebook account and other social media accounts with your band name.
In those accounts "about" sections etc, list your real name and association with the band name.
When you upload your tracks (to whereever), in the details put the details - who composed it, produced it, date of release etc.

You may wish to ensure your band name is unique and all that other stuff too.

All of that provides the evidence that you must have to prove the work originated with you.

That's all easy.
Now, enforcing your copyright and defining what constitutes a breach of your copyright? -- good luck with that!!

[webpro]

I'm probably over thinking (should say paranoid hahahaha) but better be safe than sorry!
Heck imagine that one of my baby goes viral and some jackass claims it's his song!
Or someone steels it and it becomes a super hit!
I will follow your guide that's for sure and look for the copyright.gov thingo also.
Thanks

[BRIGGS]

The 100% most reliable way, is to never release your music.

[Biolumin3sc3nt]

The 100% most reliable way, is to never release your music.

LOL, I've been in that Club for a bit too long now

[BRIGGS]

The 100% most reliable way, is to never release your music.

LOL, I've been in that Club for a bit too long now

You, too?

[xboix]

What`s the best way to protect your songs (copyrighted)?

I'm Canadian and i'm looking at copyright.gov right now.

In essence: Publish them.

Before the Internet, a good approach was to record your music (onto cassette ) and then put in sealed registered post and send it to yourself. Of course when you received it, you wouldn't open it

These days, create a digital footprint, that clearly associates the track with you.
Create a twitter account, facebook account and other social media accounts with your band name.
In those accounts "about" sections etc, list your real name and association with the band name.
When you upload your tracks (to whereever), in the details put the details - who composed it, produced it, date of release etc.

You may wish to ensure your band name is unique and all that other stuff too.

All of that provides the evidence that you must have to prove the work originated with you.

That's all easy.
Now, enforcing your copyright and defining what constitutes a breach of your copyright? -- good luck with that!!

The "mail yourself" thing never really worked but it was certainly widespread advice at the time. The problem was that you could have mailed yourself an unsealed envelope and sealed it up at any point years later.

[QVprod]

What`s the best way to protect your songs (copyrighted)?

I'm Canadian and i'm looking at copyright.gov right now.

copyright.gov is the US copyright office. If you're in Canada you may want to seek the Canadian alternative. That aside, registering a copyright is the only thing that "protects" your songs which just means giving you a legal standing to sue if someone steals.