Kim Greene, an attorney with Wyatt Tarrant & Combs, spoke at our February 5 meeting. She covered various legal aspects of the music industry such as:
When is a copyright created? When your original musical or lyrical creation has been fixed in tangible form.
What is exploitation of copyright? The reproduction, selling/distribution, performing, display, and exercise of exclusive rights to the creation.
Is it necessary to display copyright notice on creation? Legally, no. But most attorneys recommend it be included.
Is work for hire a concern? Yes. Read all documents carefully to ascertain whether you will lose copyright ownership.
In summary, Kim recommended that all writers carefully read contracts, seeking legal help when in doubt; carefully study transfers of ownership; know the advantages of joint ownership, and drawbacks; and make every effort to protect and exploit your copyright ownership through registration and licensing.
The co-op would like to again thank Kim for an extremely informative presentation and invite her to join us again in the future.