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The answer is Yes. However the problem of proof is going to come up if someone disputes your claim or steals your song. Intellectually that copywrite is yours, but if someone else copywrites it officially, then it's theirs unless you can prove otherwise. One way of establishing a poor mans copywrite is to record the song, put it with the lyrics, all bearing your name as creator, into an envelope, and mail it to yourself registered mail return receipt requested, and never open it and keep all your paperwork. This will establish, when you open it in court, that that song existed on a SPECIFIC DATE, the date it was mailed, and the date you signed for it. Nothing, however, beats an official copywrite filed in DC. Look into it. You don't have to write music sheets, they accept cassettes or discs with lyric sheets, and it's not too expensive. If you have a lot of songs, and it would get too expensive you could do what a few of my pals have done, put all the songs on one disc and bulk copywrite them as "The songs of "X", X being your name. Hope this helps.

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Q: Does a songwriter automatically own his copyright?
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