COPYRIGHT YOUR SONG LYRICS / WRITTEN MUSIC

You can copyright ALL of your song lyrics / written music with just one US Copyright application.

This section covers only the copyright of written song lyrics and music not the copyrighting of the recordings of those songs or music.

• Click here to learn how to copyright both your song lyrics and recorded music with just one music copyright application.
  
  
• Click here for special copyright information for your garage band or music group

---

THE SOLE AUTHOR OF THE SONG LYRICS / WRITTEN MUSIC CAN COPYRIGHT ALL SONG LYRICS / WRITTEN MUSIC WITH JUST ONE US COPYRIGHT OFFICE APPLICATION

If you are the sole author of all the song lyrics / written music you want to copyright (or are the only person claiming ownership to them) you can copyright all of your song lyrics / written music with just one US Copyright Office application, so long as all of the songs are self-contained works and are combined in a single published or unpublished collection.

Self contained works are those that are not dependant upon being grouped with the other works to be understood. For example, the chapters in a novel are not self-contained as they rely on each other for meaning, but a collection of songs will likely be self-contained.

By answering a few simple questions during our copyright process, we will be able to determine if you are eligible to copyright your song lyrics / written music with just one application (in 99% of cases, you will be).

Once you do that, we then make sure the copyright form is correctly drafted to ensure that each individual song lyric or piece of music as well as the collection of song lyrics / written music as a whole are protected by US Copyright law. We include language in your copyright application that essentially tells the US Copyright Office, “This is to let you know that even though I'm submitting one application, all of these song lyrics / pieces of music should be protected individually."

COPYRIGHT YOUR SONG LYRICS / WRITTEN MUSIC NOW!

---

TWO OR MORE AUTHORS OF SONG LYRICS / WRITTEN MUSIC CAN ALSO COPYRIGHT ALL THEIR WORK WITH ONE COPYRIGHT APPLICATION

In a case where two or more people authored song lyrics or wrote music as a collaboration (or wrote them individually but wanted to copyright them together), the song lyrics / written music can be registered with one application if:

• all of the songs are self-contained works and contained in one published or unpublished collection.

Self contained works are those that are not dependant upon being grouped with the other works to be understood. For example, the chapters in a novel are not self-contained as they rely on each other for meaning, but a collection of songs will likely be self-contained.

• the copyright claimant(s) of the song lyrics / written music (person(s) claiming ownership) are the same; and

• at least one of the authors is common throughout all the song lyrics or written music.

Example: Al, Barry and Cam want to copyright their 10 song lyrics together. Al and Barry wrote 5 songs and Al and Cam wrote the other 5. Since Al is the common author in all 10 songs, they can register all the song lyrics with one application, so long as either Al, Barry, or Cam (or any combination) claim ownership in all the songs – remember all the claimants have to be the same in order to register the songs under one application. Click here to learn more about joint authorship of songs and music.

If you have a band / musical group you can copyright all of your songs together now claiming joint ownership and have a written agreement about how to split up the song lyrics /written music, etc. in the event your band breaks up. Click here for special copyright information for your garage band or music group

COPYRIGHT YOUR SONG LYRICS / WRITTEN MUSIC NOW!

---

WHY DO I NEED INDIVIDUAL COPYRIGHT PROTECTION FOR MY SONG LYRICS WHEN I’M COPYRIGHTING ALL OF MY SONG LYRICS TOGETHER?



Simple. By submitting a copyright application for your song lyrics / written music in which you specifically state that you want all song lyrics / written music protected individually, you will maximize any award of statutory damages. If you've registered a collection of 10 song lyrics and someone has ripped off five of them, you want to be able to collect statutory damages of $750-$30,000 for each song lyric (assuming your actual damages and profits aren't higher).

When you copyright your song lyrics / written music with Click&Copyright, we make sure the copyright application is drafted to maximize any statutory damages you may be eligible for in the event of copyright infringement of your song lyrics / written music.

COPYRIGHT YOUR SONG LYRICS / WRITTEN MUSIC NOW!