Home > Resources > Copyright Registration Registering for a Copyright The U.S. Copyright Office states, "Copyright registration is a legal formality intended to make a public record of the basic facts of a particular copyright. However, registration is not a condition of copyright protection. Even though registration is not a requirement for protection, the copyright law provides several inducements or advantages to encourage copyright owners to make registration." What this means is that at the time of creation, certain rights are assigned to the songwriter. The most certain way to be recognized as the valid owner of said intellectual property is to register your work under copyright guidelines. Copyright laws do permit the registration of sound recordings, which means you are permitted to register for your copyright by . The three aspects which are considered under the copyright laws which apply specifically to musical works are as follows: The sound recording itself Visual transcription of words and music associated with sound recording (lyrics and sheet music) Musical sound that is part of a motion picture or audiovisual work This aspect of protecting your work is ultimately one of the most important, as the determination of mechanical royalty payment is achieved by first assigning the receipt of those funds to the party which is the rightful copyright holder. Although a bit daunting, registering your work is a must if you are a songwriter or composer. If you need further assistance, help can be made available to you. If you feel confident in registering your work on your own, the U.S. Copyright Office's Circular 56 provides guidelines for compliance in order to successfully register your work(s).     Site and contents © 2006-2009 Laskar Enterprises Inc all rights reserved