What is US Copyright Office Registration and Why Does It Matter?

What Is Copyright?

The United States Copyright Law provides legal protection for artists of creative works. The law gives music creators six exclusive rights, making it illegal for others to use their music without permission. The six protections cover each of the various ways music is used. If you write a song, only you can record, photocopy, perform in public, rearrange, or play a recording of your song on the radio; television; or web.

How Do I Copyright My Original Music?

To gain all of the protections of the copyright law, you need to copyright your music. Luckily, this is really easy to do. In fact, music is automatically copyrighted the moment you create it in a tangible medium, like on paper or on audio recording. That's right. All you have to do is write your original song down on paper, or record it, and you own the copyright. Then you are protected by law and others cannot use your song without your permission.

What Is Copyright Registration?

One common misconception is that you copyright your music with the United States Copyright Office. The truth is that your work is automatically copyrighted the moment you record it on a tangible medium. What the Copyright Office provides is not the copyright itself, but a certificate of registration of your copyright. This is a formal document issued directly from the Copyright Office to you that certifies that you are the owner of a work and that they have a record of your ownership on file at the Library of Congress.

Why Should I Register My Copyright?

United States Copyright Office registration establishes your ownership of a work in the United States. When you register, you gain "prima facie" evidence that you were the first to create the work. "Prima facie" is a legal term. It means that the other side bears the burden of proof to prove that the work is not yours. If you are serious about protecting your intellectual property and protecting the business of your music, we recommend you make it official, establish your prima facie evidence, and register your work with the United States Copyright Office.

What Do I Get?

You get an official Certificate of Registration from the United States Copyright Office, mailed to the address you provide at sign up. Your work is also entered into the United States Copyright Office's searchable Public Catalog at copyright.gov.

Why Hire Easy Song?

Copyright registration tools are readily available to the public at copyright.gov. So, why pay extra to Easy Song? There are a few reasons:

1. We know what we're doing. We've done it before. It'll go smoother. We promise.
2. Our website is easier to understand and use than copyright.gov.
3. You get the support of our team of experts. Have a question? Call us.

Are there are other companies out there that offer copyright registration services? Sure. But with Easy Song, you get the customer service you love from a company you can trust.