https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:19:16 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/paged/2/#post-171747 Fri, 14 Apr 2006 06:22:08 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion Manitou https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/paged/2/#post-171747 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/paged/2/#post-171678 Thu, 13 Apr 2006 23:08:00 +0000
The reason envelopes don't work is because they only prove the date the envelope was carried, not the date of the contents. I have heard of cases where dated proof was accepted in court action - one I recall was a live performance of a song that was recorded for later television broadcast. The dated tape and station logs were accepted as proof of composition on or before the performance date.

But proof of composition is only half the battle in a copyright case. You have to also prove that the other party had access to your work... and that's tough. If you file for a formal copyright, that's considered 'constructive notice' - in other words, it's a matter of public record that you wrote it on or before the date you filed for copyright, and anyone searching the record could have come across your song. That places the burden of proof on them - they need to show how they came up with it independently.

If you have a notary public certify a date, you may have proof that you wrote it... but you now still have to prove the other person copied YOUR work, rather than independently coming up with the same idea. If you submitted a demo tape to the band's manager, and you did that by certified mail or some other 'signed for' delivery method, you might have a case. But if your song has been sitting in a desk drawer in Des Moines, you'll have a tough time convincing a jury that some L.A. band 'stole' your song - the jury is going to wonder how they could have!]]> Guitar Players Discussion NoteBoat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/paged/2/#post-171678 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-171676 Thu, 13 Apr 2006 23:01:09 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion greybeard https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-171676 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-171669 Thu, 13 Apr 2006 22:44:37 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion Manitou https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-171669 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-154713 Fri, 27 Jan 2006 05:01:22 +0000 does not work.

If you choose to not file a copyright, for whatever reason, you need proof that you actually had the song on a date. The only non-copyright method I've ever heard of was a band who had performed a song on television - the station had broadcast logs and a tape of the performance. Something like that is proof... a postmarked envelope is only proof that you mailed an envelope - it could have been unsealed, with you dropping in the lyrics later on. Nick did some legal legwork on this, and found the exact number of times a postmark copyright has held up in US courts: zero.

Save your postage. Put it towards copyright registration.]]> Guitar Players Discussion NoteBoat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-154713 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-154703 Fri, 27 Jan 2006 04:07:56 +0000
As far as songwriting, most generally team up with a musician and create and sell their songs that way. The result is that you both own 50% of the songs, so you should make sure you get along with/ trust your partner.]]> Guitar Players Discussion cerberus https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-154703 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-154608 Thu, 26 Jan 2006 20:43:40 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion Taso https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-154608 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-154589 Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:23:19 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion DillyDally https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-154589 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-118198 Wed, 17 Aug 2005 01:48:42 +0000
I think Songwriter101.com has one...try google too, I'm sure I've seen others.]]> Guitar Players Discussion dsparling https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-118198 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-118169 Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:32:49 +0000 http://www.copyright.gov/register/performing.html

That should have the info.]]> Guitar Players Discussion gunslinger https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/can-i-just-sell-my-lyrics/#post-118169