0
It isn't necessary to take any action for a completed song to be protected. Copyright protection is automatic, as soon as work of sufficient originality is "fixed in a tangible medium, perceptible to human eye, machine reader or other device".
If you want the additional protection a formally registered copyright can provide, contact the copyright office in your country for the proper procedure.
What else can I help you with?
If there has been a copyright put on a song where would it be listed?
Because protection is automatic, a notification is not required: everything is protected by copyright unless it specifically says otherwise.
Is it copyright if you use a song but change some of the words of it?
That would be copyright infringement if the original song was protected.
How do you know if the song is copyrighted?
Because notification is not required for protection, it is safe to assume that any mp3 is protected by copyright unless explicitly stated otherwise.
When is the copyright of Unchained Melody expiring?
The song will be protected through 2050; recordings will be protected longer.
Are the banana boat song lyrics copyright protected?
No; it is a traditional Jamaican folk song.
Is Through your own eyes copyrighted?
There are many works by that title, but the song by Alice is protected, and recordings of the song are additionally protected: one copyright on the underlying tune, and one copyright on the recorded performance of that tune.
Are song titles not lyrics copyrighted?
Short phrases such as song titles cannot be protected by copyright.
If you use a song title in a short story and submit it for publication is it breaching copyright?
Short phrases like song titles cannot be protected by copyright.
Is the song Unchain My Heart copyright protected?
Yes; it was written in 1961 and renewed, so it will be protected through 2056.
Is the song somewhere over the rainbow still protected by copyright?
Yes; it is controlled by EMI Feist, and will be protected through 2034.
Can you copyright a song in public domain?
No, but a new work based on a PD song can be protected by copyright. A new translation, setting, arrangement, etc may be copyrightable. A common example would be the traditional Shaker song "Simple Gifts," which is in the public domain, and Aaron Copland's popular orchestral setting "Variations on a Shaker Melody," which is protected by copyright.
Is the theme tune from the BBC series Waterloo Road copyright protected?
There are two copyrights: the song itself, and the recording of the song.
