[Marrianna]

Hi all,
I once thought that owning copyright in original works was a protection against the work being copied. Copyright was introduced to enable creators to earn a living from their work (I read). I have also seen that work goes into the Public Domain after the time of copyright expires. This time can vary depending on the country of publishing etc.
Being that the option to download work is given now on some sites, it seems that the copyright protection rights are quite meaningless. Nobody really knows how their work is being used and no way of finding out. So then, original work seems to be going into the Public Domain from the time of displaying on the Internet. Does that mean that Youtube and other similar sites are the only way to keep some stability and knowing what happens to works by some royalty being earned sooner or later.
What do authors of original works really think and how much do they value their own creations.  If they are not making a choice about copyright protection. it looks as though the Public Domain is coming into play much earlier with no specific declaration of Waiving rights.
Any thoughts on this subject as i find it interesting being that I thought copyright protection is important to us.
Thankyou
Marrianna :-)

[CaliaMoko]

I don't think enabling downloads automatically waives copyright protection, but I also think the artist should remember to mark all works with the relevant copyright note. For me, that would be the word "Copyright" and/or the symbol © followed by the year and my name. Adding "All rights reserved" might also be a good idea. SoundCloud has an option that allows the poster to indicate what type of license s/he wants to apply to each song s/he uploads, if I remember right. It's early, I'm sleepy, so my brain is not functioning at full power....

I have wondered about the legal consequences of forgetting to mark a work with the copyright information, because I don't always remember. I think this whole issue of rights, licensing, copyrights is confused these days because of the internet and easy availability (and share-ability) of anything.

I believe the original writer should have control over what happens to anything s/he writes, but I think there is also a danger of copyright claims going too far. Like, if someone uses a phrase that is actually common in the spoken language and then tries to sue another artist for using the same phrase later on.

[Marrianna]

I don't think enabling downloads automatically waives copyright protection, but I also think the artist should remember to mark all works with the relevant copyright note. For me, that would be the word "Copyright" and/or the symbol © followed by the year and my name. Adding "All rights reserved" might also be a good idea. SoundCloud has an option that allows the poster to indicate what type of license s/he wants to apply to each song s/he uploads, if I remember right. It's early, I'm sleepy, so my brain is not functioning at full power....

I have wondered about the legal consequences of forgetting to mark a work with the copyright information, because I don't always remember. I think this whole issue of rights, licensing, copyrights is confused these days because of the internet and easy availability (and share-ability) of anything.

I believe the original writer should have control over what happens to anything s/he writes, but I think there is also a danger of copyright claims going too far. Like, if someone uses a phrase that is actually common in the spoken language and then tries to sue another artist for using the same phrase later on.

Hi Vicky.
Thankyou for your reply.
I don't think enabling work to be downloaded waives copyright protection automatically, but the very fact of it being there to share can jeopardise the copyright protection therein. When work was pitched to publishers and record companies, most wise people would add the copyright symbol and All Rights Reserved comment to show that the writer was aware, but for downloading I don't think there is anything. The creators don't seem to have the control of their work and it can go all over the place etc. ..
Yes, it is confusing!
Marrianna

[CaliaMoko]

In a sense, I suppose it's kinda like Facebook, which rips all identifying information from files when they are uploaded. Like photos, which--in the case of professional studios--are usually copyrighted. Those files,then, are left in a sort of limbo. I've noticed photographers are often adding their ownership information on the face of the photos they upload.

In that same spirit, I add my ownership information to mp3 files (at least I try to remember to do so) before I upload them. It isn't hard to download and make copies without that information, though. Is there a way to "lock" copyright information onto a sound file? I don't know. Another question to research.

[Marrianna]

In a sense, I suppose it's kinda like Facebook, which rips all identifying information from files when they are uploaded. Like photos, which--in the case of professional studios--are usually copyrighted. Those files,then, are left in a sort of limbo. I've noticed photographers are often adding their ownership information on the face of the photos they upload.

In that same spirit, I add my ownership information to mp3 files (at least I try to remember to do so) before I upload them. It isn't hard to download and make copies without that information, though. Is there a way to "lock" copyright information onto a sound file? I don't know. Another question to research.[/b]

The general impression seems to be that everyone knows that copyright is there in a work as soon as the ideas therein have been expressed in word, on paper, etc. and are not just ideas in our heads. But not everyone does know and think that anything can be used without the owners permission. 
I'm not sure if there is any way of safeguarding works from just being used or taken and changed around to try to hide the first recognisable work. For work to be copied in an identical way is unlikely because that would be too obvious, I would think.

The public domain subject would, for me, be worth researching more, though.
I have learnt from my interest in the Music Business, learning from different music associations and people who work for them that copyright is so very important and to take steps to protect our rights. It is becoming more difficult to know how to do this effectively with modern technology.

Thankyou for replying again, Vicky

Marrianna :-)