Copyrighting Questions (Form SR & Form PA)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kavie
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Kavie

Kavie

a.k.a. Bishop Jackson
I know that for copyrighting music you would use Form SR, Form PA, or both, depending on the music you're copyrighting. But my question is...

I'm working on a complete instrumental album, which is compiled of music that I made through sampling. I am not looking to make an form of profit from the project, internet downloads and free CDs, but I am concerned with protecting my music in the case that someone would want to use something on the project to rap or sing over. So with the music not being used for profit, I'm not going the sample clearing route (especially since I'm not expecting it to reach that far to the point where I would have to), but would I still be able to copyright the actual performance (using Form PA) or the version of the recording (using Form SR) as my own to protect me in the case that some uses it without consent?
 
Yes u can with the SR Form definitely, but the PA Form is for Plays, Theater Performances, Motion Pictures and things of that nature....I think..
 
I did a little researching about what forms to use for what and came across this. This makes me think that I would want to use Form SR to copyright both the sound recording and the actually composition. But if I was interested in copyrighting the composition only I would use Form PA.

http://www.copyright.gov/register/sr-choose.html
 
The SR is for the sound recording aka the master. it's only the sound recording, not the song

the PA is the Performance Arts, it is the actual song not the sound recording.

You need both forms. also you need to make sure you add the info on the songs you sampled, it is considered derivative work.
 
dwells said:
The SR is for the sound recording aka the master. it's only the sound recording, not the song

the PA is the Performance Arts, it is the actual song not the sound recording.

You need both forms. also you need to make sure you add the info on the songs you sampled, it is considered derivative work.
Click to expand...

That was my original thoughts on it, but after reading this it seems to be a little different:

"Use Form SR for registration of published or unpublished sound recordings, that is, for registration of the particular sounds or recorded performance.

Form SR must also be used if you wish to make one registration for both the sound recording and the underlying work (the musical composition, dramatic, or literary work). You may make a single registration only if the copyright claimant is the same for both the sound recording and the underlying work. In this case, the authorship statement in Space 2 should specify that the claim covers both works. ..."

This is from the following page, http://www.copyright.gov/register/sr-choose.html. Am I reading this wrong?
 
you need both. the PA is the important one. the sr is just for the individual recording.
 
The SR can be used to register the copyright in both the sound recording and the underlying musical composition at the same time (provided you're the author of both). But if you use the SR or PA form you'll be paying a lot more to register your work then you would if you used the new CO form. Registering through the online eCo system costs even less.
 
someone just call the copyright office for the correct info and report back to us.
 
newuser1 said:
someone just call the copyright office for the correct info and report back to us.
Click to expand...

Or check the Copyright Office itself: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ56a.pdf

Like I said, if you want to register a sound recording and the underlying musical composition with one application, you can - as long as you are the author of both.

If you happen across an old SR form that's the one you can use - though they are no longer available from the Copyright Office, and you have to pay $65 to register with one of them. They'll also take a heck of a longer time to process.

Registering online through the eCo system is the fastest and cheapest - only $35. If you want to mail a form in, you can download the CO form from the Copyright Office and use that. It's $50 - more than online registration, but less than the near-obsolete SR forms.

Instructions on how to fill it out can be found through the link above.
 
register online and if you want the old paper way, you need form sr. Doing both would be idiotic.
 
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