Intellectual Property Law

Intellectual Property for a musical performance?

I was a member of a musical group which I recorded a CD with but have since left. I'm seeking compensation for my performance on the CD but I never signed a contract. Is my performance considered intellectual property and hence give me part ownership of the copyrighted CD? I'm listed on the credits of the CD as Drums/Percussion but not as a co-writer.

Public Comments

1. Short answer, is yes. But how do you prove that you were part of the band, or that your music is on the CD?
2. The only way you may be able to get some compensation out of this is if you can prove you wrote some of the music or lyrics. Is your name listed as co-writer or just vocals, guitar etc. This can be very expensive to pursue and would only be worth it if the band gets signed to a major label and starts collecting publishing rights from ASCAP or BMI
3. I suggest you call a copyright lawyer and ask a quick question briefly describing this (under the pretext that they are the experts and you were just wondering). You'll be surprised what lawyers will tell you for free over the phone. I've done exactly this many times before.