Sound Recording Copyright in India

Sound Recording Copyright

As mentioned already sound recording copyright is slightly different from music notations copyright. A sound recording - unlike the musical notes – which are noted down on a sheet, is a material object that either reproduces or mechanically plays music. It is imperative to mention here that motion pictures and audio-visual works do not fall in the category of sound recordings. To put things further in perspective, sound recording copyrights are held by record labels while the right over composition property is that of the publishing company. The publisher holds the right of the composition as he uses them in promotions and other platforms and generates revenues from that.

Once a recording of the original music performance is made on a tape recorder or any other digital medium, it is further edited and the copies are known as master copy. Therefore an individual or a company can buy the rights of the master copy. Since plagiarism in the music world is a common phenomenon, sound recording bear copyright notices inside out. A letter P inside a circle, then the year in which it was the recording was first published and then the name of the person or the company which has the right over the recording.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Once the copyright holder of the music sheet has sold the rights to a company or a producer, any other individual or company is entitled to have the compulsory license to make recordings of the composition. The move is aimed at preventing sheet owners from authorizing one company the full right over the music and thus reducing the chances of monopoly over the music industry.

Eligibility Criteria for Sound Recording Copyright

Make sure that your sound recording is an original one, that’s the only eligibility criteria to obtain Sound Recording copyright.

Documents Required for Sound Recording Copyright

In regard to the Sound Recording Copyright, following documents are needed

• NOC of the Author/Publisher/Producer/Composer & All other persons involved in the creation of Sound recording

Process for Sound Recording Copyright

The copyright registration process for a sound recording is a long one, and it involves a lot of legal requirements. However, all of that can be compressed into the following points:

1. Perform a copyright registration search to see if the sound recording of the same name, content and nature is already copyrighted
2. File the application for copyright registration along with a copy of the work you want to copyright.
3. Wait for the copyrighted material to be published
4. It shall stay in the journal for a while.

Once you get the copyright registration, the benefits come then. However, the time it takes for the process to be completed can take even years.

Our Assistance to file the Sound Recording Copyright

We, at Registrationwala provide end to end solutions for Sound Recording Copyright. Our services include:

·         Collection of information and starting the process

·         Drafting the application

·         Reviewing the draft and making changes if necessary

·         Filing the application of Sound Recording Copyright

Registrationwala.com is a leading legal consultancy firm providing the comprehensive services relating to Sound Recording Copyright

Contact us to get sound recording copyright.