Copyright notices on Youtube.

Hey Everyone, I'm a music producer, and I had a really annoying issue with YouTube a couple years back.

I uploaded This Instrumental 3 years ago and i never filed a copyright with the copyright office (i never thought i had to)

and of course when it started getting big, some guy ripped it, made a song to it, and copy-wrote the song with "CD Baby."
I was struck down with a copyright notice (content ID dispute) from CD Baby, saying my content belonged to a 3rd party (the guy who stole my music).

at the time i was really ignorant about copyright law, so i choose not to dispute it, for fear of my song being taken down, or my account being banned, since i had no definitive proof.

So i left it alone for all these years, but now i recently released a song with a large independent artist, and i want to upload the instrumental to YouTube. I want to prevent the same situation which happened with the first video, so can anyone tell me what i need to do in order to prevent folks from filing copyright notices on my beat, AND prevent content ID disputes with the artist?
 
File appropriate copyright paperwork with the Library of Congress. Save all tracks, data, mixes, etc. from the original sessions. Set-up your publishing company (you can create an artist-owned company pretty inexpensively), and file appropriate paperwork with the performance rights organization of your choice (ASCAP, BMI). Keep accurate records.

You have a case against this guy, if you have any sort of back-up of your data. But it is always best to file with the LOC (or the appropriate body/organization in whichever country you happen to be in). If this guy's song has made any income, you are entitled to it, or you can simply send him a cease and desist for his infringement. But you need to have proof. The date of your original upload is a start (but probably not enough). You should file an official complaint with both YouTube and CDBaby, because in reality it is they who are infringing you, not the other way around.

GJ
 
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