The Songwriters Guide for Copyright Law : Part 2

In Canada, copyright is granted once the artistic or dramatic work has been created. A copyright registration may be sought by the creator or by the person that has an interest in the idea or the concept. This can be the person that created the content or a boss, for instance. Copyright helps to protect creative and expressive forms of work rather than something like a patent that protects an invention.

Registering a Copyright

The process for registration starts with the copyright office. You need to fill out your forms and make sure that your information is correct and that you have added all the necessary information to the form. You can follow the steps that are provided by the copyright office to get the process started and to make sure that you have covered all the steps from start to finish.

Owner’s Rights

There are some different rights that a copyright owner has, and knowing what they are can make a big difference overall. You have the right to the economic value of the work. You can only protect the actual words of your song or your copyright; this means that if someone creates something similar with the same idea but not the same words, you cannot sue.

You have the right to take legal action against people that record your songs or use your creative works without permission, and you also have the right to deny people the use of your song or your copyrighted material. It is always best to take the time to find out just what your copyright covers, to take the time to protect your creative works and to make sure that you are not going to have to deal with copyright infringement issues later on if someone does use your material. If you live in Edmonton, consider speaking to a lawyer in Edmonton that has experience with copyrights as they can answer some of your questions.