Re: [microsound] copyright...

[Tad Turner <tad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 6/20/02 at 8:09 AM, david miller <damille@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

> i've always heard that a very cheap but semi effectvie form
> of copyrighting your music is just recording it to a cd, and mailing
> it to yourself.  and never opening the package you sent it in.
> i guess i'm asking everyone with 'real' copyright experience etc.
> what your take on this is.

In the US at least, the law is very receptive to your right to
authorship. I should think you wouldn't have to go to even the trouble
of sending something to yourself, but it makes it far easier to
establish your rights.

The real question is what happens when your rights are violated. A court
would probably want to give you the value of the royalties you would
have gotten had your authorship been properly acknowledged. Proving
intentionality that would result in compensation for "damages" is very
hard.

This then gets into the cost of a suit versus the present/future value
of the rights. Lawsuits haven't been called "the sport of kings" for
nothing...

-Tad