Intellectual Property Law

How can I protect music intellectual property in the UK?

I compose and write songs, I will be showing to people in the industry. How can I protect/register the intellectual property/copyrightsin the UK whitout being a member of any union or organization in the industry? Any way of doing it without fees, memberships?

Public Comments

1. Digital Audio Watermark A unique inaudible code, which is inserted into an audio file in order to identify the first person who legally purchased the file. If you buy a watermarked MP3 and then distribute it over the Internet, the RIAA will be able to tell that you are the person who originally broke copyright law and distributed the file. Watermarks have yet to be deployed by the SDMI. Fraunhofer Institute has developed prototype technology to help curb the sharp rise in online music piracy, which, ironically, has been enabled through another invention of the renowned German research group: MP3 audio compression. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Integrated Publication and Information Systems Institute have successfully tested a software system, based on the group's own digital watermarking technology, for tracking pirated audio files in peer-to-peer file-sharing networks, says Michael Kip, a spokesperson for the institute. Kip referred to the Fraunhofer approach as an alternative to DRM (digital rights management) systems, which he says require special players and are prone to hacking. While watermarking technology isn't new per se, this is the first time it has been used in a system to automatically track pirating in P-to-P networks, according to Kip. The system lets content providers, such as music studios, embed a watermark in their downloadable MP3 files. Watermark technology makes slight changes to data in both sound and image files. For instance, the change could be a higher volume intensity in a tiny part of a song or a brighter color in a minuscule part of a picture. Even the best trained human eyes and ears, according to Kip, can't detect the change. The digital media watermark used in the Fraunhofer system also contains a "hash value," which creates a link between the content provider and registered purchaser. "The hash value is like a fingerprint; it contains unique information about the user," Kip says. "The software that we've developed can automatically search for fingerprints."
2. The best low-tech option used for years is to get all of your music, lyrics, notes ect. and post them to yourself via special delivery. Make sure you tape all around the envelope and mark it with pen around all the edges. When it arrives - don't open it! Keep it somewhere safe. You will now have a copy of your work sealed in an envelope and stamped with the date so if your ever ripped off you can hand the envelope (unopened) to your lawyer as proof of ownership.
3. drm