Copyright Question...

[pjones235]

As I'm in the process of publishing/redistributing some of my own works as well as my arrangements of other works, is it necessary to legally register a work for copyright? I've heard people say that you're not supposed to distribute works without filling out a U. S. Copyright Office registration form (which I'm sure costs money). But I've also heard people say that that only helps in restrictions for works.... Is such necessary?

[Carolus]

The short answer is "no." Registration is a legal requirement to file a lawsuit for copyright infringement. It is not required to distribute or publish a work. If you're planning on making original compositions available at IMSLP, I strongly recommend that you employ either the Performance Restricted license (if you're a member of ASCAP or BMI) or the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives 3.0. There are a number of people selling CDs and DVDs over at Ebay who have been copying massive amounts of files from IMSLP and offering them for sale which include new compositions, arrangements and editions.

[pjones235]

So basically whatever I choose for the combo-box on the "add-file" page is what the status will be for that work? For example, I recently uploaded an arrangement of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565. When I was on the add-file page I clicked "Creative Commons - Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike" license. Does that mean that from now on, that is what the work's copyright status will be? Can it be revised?

[Carolus]

As I understand the CC licenses, if you release something under a specific license it is considered irrevocably released under the terms of the license. One possible exception to this would be if the person unknowingly released something. If your arrangement was released under the plain-vanilla Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (which is essentially the same as public domain as the sole limitation is that the author be accurately credited) not really understanding that this license allows the character over at Ebay who is selling DVDs of "All the Organ Music in the World for $10" to copy the file for your arrangement and sell it without paying you anything, you might be able to change the license after the fact if you did so soon enough. That would be for a court to decide, however.

[pjones235]

I think I understood that...