Is a “Digital Timestamp” Enough to Prove Copyright Ownership of Music? **Attorney Advertising **
Most people have heard of the “Poor Man’s Copyright.” If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s the process of sticking a creative work in an envelope and sending it to oneself via the post office in order to have a “federal timestamp” showing when the work was created. Unfortunately, this “Poor Man’s Copyright” is […]
“Why Can’t I Copyright My Title?”… and Other Surprising Things You CAN’T Copyright **Attorney Advertising **
Have you come up with a catchy title for a book, a song, or even a movie and you want to be absolutely sure that no one else steals it? You may be surprised to learn that you can’t actually copyright titles, slogans, or sayings. That’s right. No protection exists under the law. Copyrights protect […]
Do DJ’s Need a License to Play Music in Public? **Attorney Advertising **
Venues, bands, or artists who play other people’s music in a public setting generally need to obtain a license in order to do so. This ensures that the original artists are properly compensated when their work is played, and that there is no infringement of a copyright. But, do these same rules apply to DJs? […]
Campaign Rallies and Music: Do Artists Have the Right to Demand Politicians Stop Using Their Songs? **Attorney Advertising **
During a campaign rally last month in West Virginia, Donald Trump’s team played a classic Aerosmith song, “Living on the Edge,” before he took to the stage. The lead singer of Aerosmith[1], Steven Tyler, got wind of the usage and demanded that Trump and his campaign stop playing any of the band’s music at their […]
Do I Need Permission or a License to Perform a Cover of a Song? **Attorney Advertising**
Whether you’re a wedding singer, you sing in a local band, or perform music with your school or university, chances are you’ve performed a “cover” of a song that was created by another artist or producer. But, when does merely performing someone else’s song or musical material become a violation of intellectual property rights? And, […]
