Copyrights, Trademarks and General Music Business Information
Texas Music Office
https://gov.texas.gov/music/page/genbus
Intro to the Music Industry: Course Readings
Dr. Stan Renard | Fall 2019
Copyrights, Trademarks and General Music Business Information
Texas Music Office
https://gov.texas.gov/music/page/genbus
The website has a great amount of information that you can obtain about music business. There are a few handy materials that are given on the website like different informations about copyrights, performance affiliations, licensing etc. A thing I like about this website is that they tell you how to register for copyrighting and the different ways you can register. Everything is specified clearly and in chronological order.
Here is the website that takes you through copyrighting
https://www.copyright.gov/
I appreciated the fact that this article not only informed the reader about trademarks, but also provided instructions on how to register a trademark. Trademarks are words, phrases, symbols, or designs that identify the source of the goods of one party from others. Trademarks can be a corporate logo, a slogan, a brand, or even just the name of a product. Unlike other copyrights, trademarks can last forever as long as it’s in use.
You can learn more about trademarks here: https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-getting-started/trademark-basics/trademark-patent-or-copyright
The Texas Music Office shared some great technical advice and details on how to register an original song, how to determine a current publisher of a song, how to contact a performing rights organization, how to trademark, etc. There are multiple ways to apply for any of these cases, but I believe that Texas Music Office provides the easiest and cheapest way to do so. To copyright an original song, they listed all the advantages of using their Form CO over many others, some benefits included it being fifty five dollars, it being a faster process to apply, and it having a tracking status. The link below compares another source where one could copyright their work starting at $110.
https://www.legalzoom.com/sem/ip/copyright.html?kid=_k_CjwKCAjwwvfrBRBIEiwA2nFiPcnmt9FafQDXT-s5a90EgKEQ5MtmQAfO7ngMcbHjPnEOa9QF_a_4qRoCUTAQAvD_BwE_k_&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=%2Bhow%20to%20%2Bcopyright&utm_content=249705573266&utm_campaign=IP%20|%20Copyright&kpid=go_630094440_36116828859_249705573266_kwd-41665574318_c&gclid=CjwKCAjwwvfrBRBIEiwA2nFiPcnmt9FafQDXT-s5a90EgKEQ5MtmQAfO7ngMcbHjPnEOa9QF_a_4qRoCUTAQAvD_BwE
This website is very interesting because this is the first time I have seen a website that caters to copyright, trademarks, and general business information. This website also direct links to different ways on how to copyright and trademark your content. I have never understood how to copyright or trademark; I thought it was something that had to take mainly legal matters and that the everyday person can’t do it. This is only a short brief website about how to do these things, but I think it is very helpful if someone just wants to get a “to the point” description of copyright, trademarks, and patents.
Here’s a link to learn more about copyright, trademark, and patents.
https://copyrightalliance.org/ca_faq_post/difference-copyright-patent-trademark/
This article talked about the different copyright laws and who you would have to contact in order to have one or request one. The page also goes into a brief detail of what its may cost and how to pay it to get it reviewed. This was interesting because this covers more than just huge labels and artist, this also goes for the little artist that need every cent they can in order to get by. I also found it interesting how they included the topic of ringtone copyright, to me it seems like a somewhat dying field but there is still money to be made.
I attached a pdf for the copyright law for ringtone.
https://www.copyright.gov/docs/ringtone-decision.pdf
This is such a useful resource for those trying to get started with their own material in the music industry. It would be so frustrating for someone to steal your work and make more money than you while you could do nothing about it. I can see why people hire lawyers though, because there were a lot of steps to cover all of the bases. However, it is encouraging to know that, if I am willing to do the work, I can do all of this myself as long as I have the money to do it. Songs aren’t always worth the work, but unfortunately, you won’t be able to tell if they are until after it is released so you might as well protect your work. I found this link that gives a step by step for registering songs for copyright:
https://www.creativeandproductive.com/how-to-copyright-music/
This article is very informative of copyright and trademark. It also gives you links to help trademark an original song and lists the advantages of using their site to do so such as a lower filing fee. This would be very convenient for an artist to be able to trademark their work.
The website the article comes from has many articles similar to this one about different topics in the music industry. I found the music business guides page to be very helpful for people who want to do almost anything in the industry including entertainment law, something I’ve been interested in and now has more information on. This website also gives you the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, musicians, and radios on the resources page.
Here’s an article about music law that discusses copyright and publishing as well:
https://www.legalmatch.com/music-law-basics.html
This Texas Music Office article really improved my understanding of the whole processes of copyright within the music business. After discussing the inner workings of copyright in class and in the last discussion, I was horribly overwhelmed, but now the concept seems a lot more approachable. In general, the page was very user friendly, and cleared up some confusion, but I think I found the most helpful was the information on Mechanical Licenses. Here is a link that goes more in depth with Mechanical Licensing: https://www.themusickitchen.com/music-biz/music-licensing-mechanical-license/
I was excited to see this article was over the Texas Music Office because I remember them tabling last year at Music Bizz Day. Because we’ve talked a lot about mechanical royalties and licensing, I decided to read up more about the Harry Fox agency. The website has a very modern aesthetic and is enjoyable to navigate. Michael Simon is the president and CEO of the Harry Fox agency and President of Rumblefish. LANDR and Rumblefish working together is huge because with no payment from the artist, LANDR-distributed artists will handle the licensing of the cover tracks and make royalty payments to the publishers.
This article is very helpful for artists, especially beginners who don’t know much about the industry. This article teaches about trademarking, copyrights, etc. Dealing with copyright laws can be dangerous.
Here’s an article I found showing the consequences of violating copyright laws. https://www.lib.purdue.edu/uco/CopyrightBasics/penalties.html
This article is super helpful with copyrights and trademarks. I love how it adds different sites that can help you pick which way you’d like to submit for copyright. But it also has a great site that has a catalog of all the songs that have been copyrighted since 1978. https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First
This article was incredibly helpful in streamlining the process of copyrighting, licensing, and trademarking. It is is interesting to me as to just how easy and cheap all of this is to do. For example, it is $55 for filling out an online application to copyright something, which is apparently easy to fill out. I also did not know that the Texas government has this website, which is a pool of information on the music industry in Texas/United States, which is fantastic. Here is an article on which would be more beneficial to you: https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/trademarks-vs-copyrights-which-one-is-right-for-you
I enjoy this article because of all the resources that were provided and how specific it got to what exactly you are looking for. Something that comes to mind is about SoundExchange. So if someone is a DJ but never got a license to DJ but still plays music can he or she get in a lot of trouble or is it okay because it’s just like playing a song from your phone out loud? Also, has there been instances that SoundExchange is trying to collect all the royalties but can’t really get to the bottom of all the streaming services it is being played off of?
Heres a little more information from where they get it from.
https://www.soundexchange.com/about/general-faqs/
A fantastic article that has excellent information on copyrights, trademarks, and just the overall music business in general. The sound-exchange section was very interesting to me since this organization was the first one to collect digital royalties from recording artist, sound recording, streaming, or the radio. Not only that but sound-exchange represents over 800+ record companies with over 3,000+ labels, and THOUSANDS of artist. Another aspect of this article was learning more about trademarks and how to obtain one. If you’re interested in obtaining a trademark for your band name, designs, or even logos you would have to go through the United States Patent and Trademark office (PTO for short.) Lastly, if you’re ever curious about your trademark name or logo is available you can always visit the TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System.)
Here is a link on Sound-Exchange
http://www.musicentrepreneurhq.com/what-is-soundexchange/
Here is a link on Trademarks (history)
http://respectfortrademarks.org/tricks-of-the-trademark/history-of-trademarks/
This is a wonderful article that can guide songwriters and artists in the right direction to properly obtain trademarks, copyrights, and other legal information to protect their works. under each service , there is also a list where to go and around how much it is to be able to get everything done. I would say this is a really helpful article that gives out information to anyone that needs help getting started off because it really does have everything you would need to be able to get the legal side of things cleared. What interested me the most from the article is that it also includes a link that can show you the copyrights of music that is already published. I spent some time on the website looking up different songs and artists. Here is link on some important topics an artist should know about copyrights:https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/03/11/music-copyright-basics/
I found this article very helpful and it serves as a great resource for not only information about establishing copyrights and trademarks, but it also provides in-depth explanations about which offices to contact about collecting royalties and registering trademarks. The info is useful for us for academic reasons, but I also feel as though I can share the link with a few friends who are in the beginning stages of starting businesses. I especially found it interesting to read about trademarks, as I’ve never really considered the costs associated with the application to the US Patent and Trademark Office and to the Texas Secretary of State.
Below is a link to an article I found that details the process of searching for already existing trademarks within the state of Texas:
https://www.upcounsel.com/texas-trademark-search
This article provides contact information on all the kinds of legal resources people in the industry would need. This is very helpful for anyone who in interested and wants to dive deep into the music business. It gives out information of multiple copyright forms, mechanical licensing, contact information on all the PROs, and trademarking. I’ve attached a link to a blog post that answers questions on blanket licenses. https://blog.dozmia.com/13-common-questions-about-music-licensing-for-businesses/
This article is very informative on the different types of licenses and copyrights. This would be very helpful for an individual aiming to put out music but is not yet knowledgeable of all of the aspects. The part I found most interesting is the digital performance royalties section. From what this article reads, SoundExchange is very powerful to the music business, representing over 800 record companies, have over 3000 labels and thousands of artists. SoundExchange makes it easy for recording artists, label groups and record companies to get compensated fairly for their work.
Here is an interesting article on how royalties are calculated so it is fair for all participants. https://www.royaltyrange.com/home/blog/how-royalties-are-calculated
It is pretty neat with all of the possible sources provided in the article that is there to use for protecting your material at a variety but yet affordable prices. In addition, great that there are several to pick from rather than it being monopolized and have no option whatsoever. Lastly, it is not limited to just rights but also trademark; which I find to be the most impressive. This tremendously helps when trying to file and see if there is anyone else out there trying to use the same name as yours or if it has already been someone else’s first before yours.
https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ip-policy/musicians-and-artists-profile
This article from the Texas Music Office was very interesting and informative. I didn’t realize how affordable the prices for the copyright registration forms are, which is surprising to me. The article touches on and provides indepth knowledge about copyrights, performing rights affiliations, mechanical royalties and licensing, digital performance royalties, and trademarks. I like how the state of Texas has a specific office handling music. The website has all of the information necessary for anyone wanting to protect their materials.
Here is a link to another article that gives more information about copyrighting music: https://www.easysonglicensing.com/pages/help/articles/copyright-law/how-to-copyright-your-music.aspx
This article began right out the gate with what copyrights entailed and how to find them. It also offers many contact references needed for licensing. I wonder do ISRCs royalties only apply in the state of Texas? If not where else would they offer their offices? Also, this article is going to help me gain even more sources for my paper to be stronger.
Heres additional research that will better help you understand copyrights and trademarks. https://www.infographicsarchive.com/what-is-a-copyright-patent-trademark/
I’m been using the TMO since back before there was a website. I would get the Tx Music Industry Directory every other year for $15. I was very happy when they started the site because it has tons of info and somewhat easy to search for needed topics. I refer other musicians, and song writers to the site almost on a daily basis. One issue is they can lag behind on updates (new laws and changes to venues and contacts). But overall a good “all in one place” site paid for by our tax dollars! Much better than some other states or the US copyright office which requires a law degree to try and understand (see below).
https://www.copyright.gov/
In this article it talked about copyright royalties and licensing. I think this article was very important because though issues of copyright seem very complicated it simplified the concept making it easier to understand. The steps made the process seem much easier by laying out exactly what to do and how to do it. I also really enjoyed the part of the article that talked about sound exchange because I think it is very essential in the music industry. Sound exchange is able to collect royalties for artist making the process easier. Below I have added a link that goes more in to detail about sound exchange.
http://www.musicentrepreneurhq.com/what-is-soundexchange/
This article is very beneficial to individuals interested in the music business and writing music due to the detail oriented aspects about copyrights, trademarks, and licensing that is mentioned. Not only does the article examine each importance, but it goes in detail regarding pricing. One of the main things I appreciated is how the article informs musicians and publishers who to contact for the particular type of licensing, as well as mechanical royalties. Here’s an article I found talking in more detail about how mechanical royalties are paid and collected.
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/mechanical-royalties-2460503
A copyright can be obtained either online or by paper. The website lists different performing rights affiliations such as ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. It lists the Harry Fox Agency under mechanical royalties and licensing. Here is a link that describes 3 ways to legally use copyrighted music in your youtube videos. https://blog.promolta.com/3-ways-legally-use-copyrighted-music-youtube-videos/
Every time I read these articles, I’m always left amazed how accessible this knowledge is. I think one of the biggest things you can do as an artist or someone interested in the music business is be educated and know your resources. This article puts into perspective how easy it is to protect your content and creativity. Here’s another helpful article that tells you more info: https://www.easysonglicensing.com/pages/help/articles/copyright-law/how-to-copyright-your-music.aspx
The Texas Music Office provided helpful information on what you needed to do to get a license and copyright. It listed some forms that you would have to go through for this process. My favorite thing about this article was that they actually gave you certain numbers to call if you needed more information. it even gives you options to choose from. the way it was step up made it easier to understand and on what to do and how to do it.
An article I found that was similar to this one was
https://collinsconnect.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/copyrights-trademarks-and-general-music-business-information/
Before being enrolled in this class, I had no idea that copyrighting your own material is as affordable and accessible as we’ve learned in class as well as in the textbook. A fifty-five dollar fee is such a great price, especially when you think about how long you or the people that come after you have rights to your creation. It also seems fairly simple to become affiliated with PROs like ASCAP, SESAC or even BMI (the one Taylor Swift is affiliated with). If you are an aspiring artist or even just one that often comes up with their own ideas and would like to trademark them, I recommend going to this site to learn more about how important it is to claim your credibility.
https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/copyright-basics-what-is-a-copyright-and-why-is-it-important
The website provides great insight into what information any person would need to get more involved into the music industry. In this case it is the great knowledge of copyrights, trademarks, and general music business information. But what intrigued me the most was copyrights and how many are their when it came to the music industry and what to do when starting to own your own rights to your music. Also how it talks about the way royalties work and what contacts can help an artist become their own brand and get better insight to becoming the best they can possibly be.
Here is a link with more information on copyrights.
https://www.tunecore.com/guides/copyrights-101
Here is link on how royalties would work in the music industry.
https://pooksomnia.com/theplug/music-royalties
The Texas Music office offers an array of information about music copyright as well as how you can get your own original song copyrighted and protected, either through paper or online. There is multiple ways to trademark a song and this article explains every advantage you get when using Texas Music Office to copyright and process your original music. I found this article very detailed and informative, it is very useful for someone who might be new to the industry who is seeking to claim a copyright for their new song.
Here is a page that informs the reader of the basics of music copyright laws.
https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/8-basic-facts-every-musician-should-know-about-copyright-law
This business guide is a solid “how to get started” resources for protecting one’s intellectual property. It has clear advice, links to many related resources, and is easy to read. This page makes the sometimes daunting concept of a copyright more tangible for anyone who is in need of their services. Especially helpful was the FAQ page, where common but important answers are found.
Attached is a link that was also included in the guide. It is to the engineering library at UT Austin, which is actually open for public use and is not just for UT students.
https://www.lib.utexas.edu/about/locations/engineering
The copyrights, trademarks, and general music business information page on Texas music office is a very useful website. All of these things can be very different in each state so you need to know the information everywhere and not just in your state. The page gives you everything you need to know, in Texas, about having your own music.
Here is a website similar to Texas’ website, but for Connecticut: https://portal.ct.gov/DCP/Common-Elements/Consumer-Facts-and-Contacts/Copyright
This article would be perfect for an artist, or anyone, in need of some easy-to-understand information about topics such as listing the advantages of song registration copyright Form CO over a Form PA and a Form SR. This article even provides some information on Performing Rights Affiliations such as ASCAP and BMI. Based on the inclusion of links within the website, anyone that does not understand topics such as the Form CO would be able to understand the topics within this article through these links providing further information. Although, upon clicking the link to the online Form CO, it does appear that the Form CO has been discontinued since March 28th, 2012.
Here is a link on the discontinuance of the Form CO :
https://www.copyright.gov/rulemaking/formco/
This article is a great resource for anyone looking to copyright or trademark their work. The website provides links to the forms, gives prices, and covers the steps that you need to take, which helps to make a seemingly complex process more straightforward to the average person. They also have links for resources located outside of Texas, like the Harry Fox Agency. Reading this article has shown me that these services are a lot more accessible than I thought, which is great for anyone just starting out in the industry.
Here is an article that covers a little more about what is and is not covered by a copyright, along with tips for independent musicians to get their music copyrighted:
https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/how-to-copyright-your-music/
I enjoyed this article in the fact that it tells you how to obtain a copyright. I didn’t realize that to get the copyright, you had to submit it through the Library of Congress. The article also gives the information of all of the licensing groups that were talked about it class. Below I included a link comparing the three licensing groups:
https://www.royaltyexchange.com/blog/ascap-vs-bmi-vs-sesac#sthash.MI4yTOhb.dpbs
This article informed me of what legal terms meant and how you can get in touch with the departments and companies that are recommended. Although it had all these terms and how they are identified, I became confused between the terms of copyright and trademark. Previously, I generalized the term and realized they are two separate thoughts and have specific types of documents. This website shows the difference between such so others can gain a better understanding. https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/trademarks-vs-copyrights-which-one-is-right-for-you
I feel as if the current copyright an trademark laws are very outdated in the era of sampling. There’s so many hoops to jump through to get a sample cleared, and surprisingly just as hard to get something taken down. It’s a waste of valuable time and resources. Often times the royalties don’t even get to the artist. But on the other hand, it is important to make sure no one is stealing music and profiting by uploading somebody else’s music.
Here is an article about J. Cole’s closing remarks on his 3rd studio album, 2014 Forest Hills Drives, where he discusses his frustrating with getting samples https://djbooth.net/features/j-cole-sample-clearance
I think this article is extremely helpful for trademark and other resources available from the Governor’s Office itself. The Texas Music Office is the hallmark of the music industry potential here in Texas and I believe every artist should look to them for guidance. I’m attaching the link to the Trademark Electronic Search System, which allows you to see if your band or company name is available for trademark.
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=4809:tdi6ip.1.1
Thanks for a great reference source! This article will definetly come in handy as my group prepares for our final project. However, I am a little bummed to find out that in order to register a copyright there is a filing fee. I guess I should have figured it would cost me, but like many young artists, $55 is alot. I know in the grand scheme of things, its not much especially if it pays off, but still I have to ask: Why should I pay to own something I created?
Here’s an article I found explaining why https://www.stopfakes.gov/article?id=Do-I-Have-to-Register-My-Copyright-Claim
Copy rights is one of the most important thing for an artist when he/she or they release their music. Copy rights help project artist and this sources really talking into the information on copy rights and royalities and liscencing, trademark, and information of contact of organization affiliated with these subject. This sources really inform details on these subject, I also found a website that can help support this article
website :
https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/copyright-basics-what-is-a-copyright-and-why-is-it-important
This article was very informal in explaining the modern ways that we can register for copyright, and exactly who is taking care of all of it. I had no idea that The Texas Music Office has been the handler of the music industry in Texas. I also had no idea about how federal everything is while at the same time you can do it pretty easily from the comfort of your laptop. This article really opened my eyes in a more efficient and proper way to handle Copyrights and trademarks, and just who to contact for them.
Here is an article that goes more in depth on how to copyright a song: https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/how-to-copyright-a-song
I think this link really showed that starting a label is a multi-person task and requires a lot of financing. Starting a new label seems near impossible unless you are already an established act with a decent sized following. We’ve seen several artists the past few years start their own label or sign to lesser known local labels and I think a large part of this is how much overhead costs at bigger labels. They have to take a bigger cut because they have more people to pay. For larger artists, it makes fiscal sense to start your own label with someone you trust.
My link is an interesting read from Forbes about J. Cole’s record label, Dreamville, and how Cole and his manager/college friend Ibrahim Hamad started a label from scratch and trusted their own talent to carry them.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ogdenpayne/2016/04/22/how-dreamville-records-is-altering-the-major-label-business-model/#4450544e6e39
This article serves as a useful resource for artists in need of information regarding copyrighting or trademarking a piece of music. The site demonstrates step by step information on the process to make a seemingly complex process, less intimidating. Also provided is the contact information to companies that are needed to go through for certain steps on the process such as BMI who is used for performing rights affiliations, or when you are interested in affiliating with an agency to collect royalties, the site provides the information for the Harry Fox Agency. I find this website very useful and I would use it for time I in the future that I need to license a piece of music for helpful information during the process. Below is an article going into detail about copyrighting a piece of music: https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/how-to-copyright-your-music/