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Copyright Important Facts A
basic understanding of copyright is important for everyone who
writes music. The copyright in a musical work refers to the exclusive
rights which enable the owner to control the use of the work and
the entitlement to rely on Copyright Law to prevent the unauthorized
use by others.
These rights are commonly grouped as follows:
Generally copyright in music and lyrics lasts for the life of the author or creator, plus 70 years after the end of the calendar year in which the author dies. If the work was not published, broadcast, performed or records of the work had not been offered or exposed for sale to the public until after the creator’s death, copyright will last for 70 years from the end of the calendar year of first publication, broadcast, performance or when records of the work were offered or exposed for sale to the public. In Australia there is no formal procedure required for copyright protection. The composer/author obtains automatic copyright protection as soon as the work is reduced to a material form such as a manuscript or when the song is recorded onto tape, CD or computer disk. Copies of manuscript and tapes should be retained and clearly marked with the international copyright symbol © followed by the year in which the work was written and the name/s of the composer/s and author/s. The
owners of copyright in a musical work are entitled to a royalty
every time their music is performed at clubs, pubs, festivals or
concerts or broadcast on radio or TV and, in some instances, when
the music is downloaded from the Internet. |
