issue14

EMUSIC-L Digest                                      Volume 54, Issue 14

This issue's topics:
	
	COPYRIGHT (2 messages)

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Date:         Wed, 28 Jul 1993 13:49:13 GMT
From:         JOEL STERN 
Subject:      COPYRIGHT

Does anyone know about American copyright laws?

(American) Billboard magazine are running a song contest and I am considering
 entering a song.

On the entry form they mention
"Copyright registration not required.  If song is registered,  contestants must
 put copyright notices on entries and file under U.S. copyright laws."

In my country (Australia),  there is no copyright registration system.
 Protection if free and automatic.  Material is protected from the time it is
 first written down or taped.

It sounds like I should register in U.S. to make sure,  but I don't know to
 contact or what the procedure is;  or whether in fact it is appropriate or
 allowable for a person from another country to register in U.S..

Any help would be appreciated.

David William Crocombe.
EMAIL:  david@abc.gov.au

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THIS IS A REPLY TO THE ABOVE MESSAGE
SUBJECT OF THE REPLY: REPLY
------------------------------------------

          >Does anyone know about American copyright laws?


          David: I'm  no expert on this  but  I think that your music is protected
          under the  Bern Convention international copyright laws, which is
          probably why Australia and many other countries have  no specific
          copyright arrangement. The  U.S. recently became a party  to  the
          Bern  Convention  and  I  think  that  the  system  here  is  now
          duplicative but  that people still seek protection under the  old
          system because not everything in  the  Bern arrangement has  been
          tested out  in  the courts yet.  I'm  not offering this  as legal
          advice and I may be all wet but this is  my understanding. By the
          way,  I  work across the hall from the  U.S. copyright office and
          can try to get better info if you need it.

          Joel
          stern@mail.loc.gov.

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 28 Jul 1993 12:24:05 EST
From:         David Crocombe 
Subject:      COPYRIGHT

Does anyone know about American copyright laws?

(American) Billboard magazine are running a song contest and I am considering
 entering a song.

On the entry form they mention
"Copyright registration not required.  If song is registered,  contestants must
 put copyright notices on entries and file under U.S. copyright laws."

In my country (Australia),  there is no copyright registration system.
 Protection if free and automatic.  Material is protected from the time it is
 first written down or taped.

It sounds like I should register in U.S. to make sure,  but I don't know to
 contact or what the procedure is;  or whether in fact it is appropriate or
 allowable for a person from another country to register in U.S..

Any help would be appreciated.

David William Crocombe.
EMAIL:  david@abc.gov.au

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