Registering song copyrights online

As music spreads rapidly online, registering song copyrights online has become an effective solution for authors to proactively establish their copyright and minimize the risk of copyright infringement. Let’s explore how to register song copyrights online in this article!

Reasons to register song copyrights online?

In the context of music being created, shared, and exploited increasingly on digital platforms, registering song copyrights online is not only a solution to protect the author’s rights but also a necessary step to assert legal ownership of the work from the outset.

• Quickly Protect Author’s Rights: Registering song copyrights online helps establish authorship officially, creating a clear legal basis to protect creative work against the risk of unauthorized copying and use.

• Saves time and costs: Compared to submitting applications in person, online registration significantly reduces travel time, allows for proactive preparation of documents, and provides convenient tracking of the processing progress.

• Strong legal evidence in case of disputes: A copyright registration certificate is crucial evidence to prove ownership of a song in case of disputes, complaints, or copyright infringement.

• Facilitates commercial exploitation of the song: Copyright registration makes it easier for authors and owners to transfer, license, and collect royalties from digital platforms, performance programs, or music exploitation entities.

• Reduces the risk of copyright infringement: Early registration helps prevent others from registering or claiming ownership of your song, especially in the digital environment.

• In line with the trend of digitizing administrative procedures: The online registration method aligns with the digitalization trend, allowing authors in all provinces and cities to complete the procedure quickly, transparently, and conveniently.

Conditions for online song copyright registration

For the application to be accepted and a certificate issued, the applicant must meet all the conditions for online song copyright registration as stipulated by current law.

• The song must be a legally created musical work, either directly composed by the applicant or legally transferred, and must not infringe on the copyright of a third party.

• The applicant must possess the copyright or legal ownership of the song.

• The work must be expressed in a physical form such as sheet music, lyrics, or sound recording.

• The online registration application must be complete, accurate, and consistent with the paper application submitted to the Copyright Office.

• The applicant must follow the correct procedures and pay all required fees.

Meeting all the above conditions will help ensure that online song copyright registration is quick and valid.

Online song copyright registration application documents

Currently, online copyright registration for musical works is considered a step in the overall copyright registration process. Therefore, online applications must be prepared completely, accurately, and must match the paper application submitted to the Copyright Office. If the application is inconsistent or lacks required documents, the review process may be delayed or rejected.

Typically, a complete application for copyright registration of a musical work will include:

• Copyright registration application form;

• Copyright commitment letter;

• Copies of legal documents of the author or copyright owner such as Citizen Identification Card/Passport; Business registration certificate; Establishment decision (for organizations);

• Decision assigning the task or confirmation document in cases where the work was created at the request or for an assigned task;

• Power of attorney if the applicant does not directly carry out the procedure;

• Other relevant documents used to prove legal ownership of the work.

All documents in the registration application must be in Vietnamese. If using documents in a foreign language, they must be translated into Vietnamese and notarized or certified according to regulations before submission.

Note: Musical works may be created by one or more people, and in some cases, the person directly composing is only an employee, not the copyright owner. Therefore, when registering copyright, it is necessary to clearly define the role of each party and prepare all corresponding legal documents. If the application is incomplete or inaccurate, the Copyright Office may refuse to accept or issue a Certificate of Copyright Registration.

Online song copyright registration process

To protect copyright quickly and conveniently, online song copyright registration must be carried out according to the procedures stipulated by the competent authority.

Step 1

Access the online public service portal at: dichvucong.bvhttdl.gov.vn.

On the system interface, select the processing agency as “Copyright Office”. A list of administrative procedures related to copyright will be displayed. The applicant selects the procedure “Issuance of Copyright Registration Certificate” and clicks “Submit Application”.

If you already have an account, log in to continue filling out the form; if you do not have an account, you need to register a new account according to the system’s instructions.

Step 2

After logging in, the system will return to the homepage. The applicant continues to select

Copyright Office, select the procedure “Issuance of Copyright Registration Certificate” and proceed to declare the application information. The information to be filled in includes:

• Identifying the applicant as an individual or organization;

• Legal documents: Citizen Identification Card/National Identity Card/Passport (for individuals) or Business Registration Certificate (for organizations);

• Contact information: address, phone number, email.

Step 3

Select the “Enter registration details” function and declare the information related to the musical work, including:

• Title of the musical work;

• Author’s name;

• Copyright owner.

Step 4

Attach the registration documents as required for each type of application. Necessary documents will be uploaded to the system as electronic files. If additional documents are required, the applicant can select “Add documents” to complete the application.

Step 5

After attaching the documents, choose the method of submitting the application and receiving the results. The applicant can choose:

• Receive the results directly at the Copyright Office; or

• Receive the results by mail and provide a specific delivery address.

Step 6

Review all the information you have entered, select “Submit Application” to complete the online music copyright registration process.

Note: Although the registration is done online, the applicant still needs to submit the original application to the Copyright Office as required to be considered for the issuance of a Copyright Registration Certificate.

The above is basic information about “Online Song Copyright Registration” that VCD shares with you. Early registration not only protects creative value but also creates a solid legal foundation for the safe and effective exploitation, use, and commercialization of musical works.

Sincerely,

FAQ