[Alan Starkie]

Well after 12 months thinking/pondering/sussing out, I've just paid my £60 and joined The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers.

Primarily for song copyright but looking forward to fully utilising this organisation.

Thanks to Mr. Boydie for the heads up when I first joined the forum a year ago.

[digger72]

Hi Alan,

Aren't songs, and indeed anything written or recorded, automatically copyright protected in the UK?

Cheers,

Digger

[Boydie]

Yes Digger they are

However, you would need a "fail safe" way of proving it in a court or law if there was a case

The "poor man's copyright" of posting a CD to yourself is not great proof - I can think of lots of ways to fake this

"Digital" copyrighting (eg via websites etc.) is yet to be tested in a court of law so I would not solely rely on this method

There is also the risk the website will not be around for long if it is a new business (I think this has happened recently)

GISC offers an independent service using "hard copies" and a referencing system that they stand by so I think this is the method likely to give the best "peace of mind" if this is something you worry about

There are other ways of building up "proof" - eg uploading to this forum, sound cloud, YouTube etc. - however I am sure these can be "manipulated" so it remains to be seen if these methods "stand up" in court

[Alan Starkie]

Hi Alan,

Aren't songs, and indeed anything written or recorded, automatically copyright protected in the UK?

Cheers,

Digger

Certainly are Digger, as Boydie said but I'm at a point were I seriously want to break into songwriting and getting published/getting cuts etc so I want everything covered.

I also want to appear professional to the people I'm submitting songs to.

[digger72]

Ah,

When i write something worth copyrighting I'll keep that in mind - lol

[S.T.C]

My mate Max who i do music with now,and as finished doing it at Bristol Uni for 3 years seems to put value in stuff like date signatures that come with doing stuff on the internet.

[benjo]

 hey guys

 this is interesting, i was just about to send my money off to
 Guild of International Songwriters & Composers.
 and then I decided to google earth it to see where it was and what it looked like
 and I was shocked and put off because it was just a house by the sea
 and it was up for sale

 don't take this the wrong way guys that doesn't mean don't trust it
 it was just my experience

 it really worried me and put me off
 I eventually went with COPYRIGHT HOUSE and paid I think it was £60 for life membership
 they send a certificate of proof when you upload your work

 be interesting to hear other stories if any

 Alan starky, I wish you all the best with what I know is going to be a great career for you
 you really have got talent..

[Sing4me88]

Hi Benjo,  hmm does sound a little odd. I know in one of their last news sheets they mentioned that they had moved location. Perhaps this explains the for sale sign?

[Boydie]

I did actually contact GISC a while back to give them some very direct feedback about the image they project

Their website is horrible quite old fashioned and certainly doesn't look very appealing

The same can be said for their newsletters etc.

However, the plus side of all of this is that there is absolutely no BS

I have always found them very knowledgeable and helpful

I would love to get hold of them as organisation to make them a bit "sexier" but to be fair they do exactly what it says on the tin so there are no complaints here!

[benjo]

 hey boydie

 I agree with you mate and my god what an honest answer
 yeah you are right it is probably the way they put themselves out there
 but if they do what they say then you can't argue with that

 don't take it that I was knocking them or anyone else
 it was just my experience that I shared

                             good luck guys


 

[Jess]

Their website is horrible quite old fashioned and certainly doesn't look very appealing

I second that! I came across their website a couple months ago and mistook it for a history textbook, so I left