Currently, one of the forms that is most prone to disputes and violations is musical works. Therefore, looking up a song’s copyright is one of the important steps to evaluate the protection ability of the work as well as help the author or owner grasp the necessary information related to the work and help determine whether any individual or organization has submitted registration documents for similar products. However, not all authors or owners know how to look up music copyrights. Therefore, the article below will focus on instructions on how to look up music copyrights for authors and owners.
1. What is song copyright?
Copyright for musical works is a form of copyright in general, specified in Clause 2, Article 4 of the Intellectual Property Law: “Copyright is the right of organizations and individuals to the work created or owned by me”. Copyright arises from the moment the work is created; and is expressed in a certain material form; regardless of content or quality; form, means, language; published or not published; registered or not registered. Copyright includes moral rights specified in Article 19 and property rights specified in Article 20 of the Intellectual Property Law.
According to the provisions of Clause 4, Article 6, Decree No. 17/2023/ND-CP guiding the Law on Intellectual Property, “4. Musical works specified in Point d, Clause 1, Article 14 of the Intellectual Property Law are works expressed in the form of notes in music or other musical characters regardless of whether they are performed or not”. Therefore, it can be understood that musical works do not necessarily have to be expressed in tangible form as notes and musical characters, but can also be expressed in sound form, and are not required to be performed. to act.
Meanwhile, copyright for musical works or songs copyrights are the rights of organizations and individuals to the musical works they compose or own, including moral rights and property rights to the musical works they create or own. that musical work.
2. Why should you look up music copyright first?
Looking up music copyrights is an important part of the process of creating, producing, and releasing music, and it has the following important benefits:
The first is to protect intellectual property rights: Copyright search helps protect the intellectual property rights of composers and those involved in music production. This means preventing others from copying, publishing, or using your music without permission or payment.
Secondly, searching for music copyright is beneficial in commercializing music: Once you have searched and have enough copyright information, you can decide how want to exploit and utilize your music. to earn money. This includes selling copyrights, signing contracts with producers, or engaging in other commercial transactions related to music.
Thirdly, looking up music copyrights ensures reasonable income: Looking up music copyrights helps track and ensure you receive the royalties you are entitled to. This includes fees for using your music in media, copy, live performance, and other forms.
Fourthly, look up music copyright to avoid legal trouble: If you do not look up copyright or violate someone else’s copyright, users may face legal problems and lawsuits. Copyright searches help users, authors, and owners avoid these problems and maintain positive relationships with others in the music industry.
Fifthly, looking up music copyrights creates trust and respect: the author or owner will be considered a professional and trustworthy artist when following music copyright rules and regulations. This can help the song’s author or copyright owner build good relationships with partners, publishers, and other industry stakeholders.
In short, looking up music copyrights is an important part of protecting the intellectual property rights of the author or copyright owner of a work, optimizing your music income, and maintaining your music. Maintain professionalism in the music industry.
3. How to look up music copyright
Music copyright lookup is the process of checking whether a piece of music is copyrighted or not, and if so, who owns it. Here are some ways to look up music copyright:
The first is authorization from a copyright management organization: If the author is the creator, he or she can authorize a copyright management organization such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC (in the United States), or other organizations similar in other countries. This organization will help you track, register, and manage your music copyrights.
The second is to use online databases: Many free and paid online databases help authors or copyright owners look up information about music copyright. For example, you can use BMI Repertoire, ASCAP ACE Database, SESAC’s Repertory, or online services like SoundExchange to find information about music copyright.
Third is contacting the copyright management agency: In some cases, the author or copyright owner can directly contact the copyright management agency in the country to look up information about the music rights. For example, in the United States, you can contact the US Copyright Office to look up; In Vietnam, you can contact the Copyright Office.
Fourth is to use a professional service: If the author or copyright owner has difficulty searching for music copyright or needs professional assistance, they can hire a lawyer or professional service in the field of music copyright to help look up and manage copyright.
Note that the process and information regarding music copyright may vary depending on the country and copyright system. Consulting with an attorney or expert in the field of music copyright can help the author or copyright owner better understand the music copyright search process and ensure proper compliance with the rules and regulations determined.
Above is the article “Searching for musical works”. Hope this article will help you
