being anynymous and copyrights

[Zamnix]

Hi..

Well.. I think its finally getting time to try out making some youtube account ánd or soundcloud
and put some music online, but I got unsure how to handle it.
I mean, I want use some alias for music, not my real name, but I want
my work obviously be copyrighted.. So... so how it goes 2019?
Pls enlighten me folks.

Ty
Sam

[jancivil]

If you really want to be protected and it's not your name, you want to register the Doing Business As, or name of the act/pseudonym in some way, connect it to your actual name in the process.

[Winstontaneous]

Not sure of Finnish process, applying for American copyright there are places to put alternate names, aside from DBAs @jancivil mentions you should also register the pseudonym with a performance rights organization (PRO) - ASCAP, BMI, etc. Note that a pseudonym for a PRO publishing company doesn't need to be attached to a published DBA name to be legit. IANAL, but I believe you technically have copyright by creating something and just asserting you are the copyright holder...the filing backs it up in the event of any claims to the contrary.

That said, I've heard of weird cases where legit copyright holders have been subject to YouTube/other streaming service takedown notices & account cancellations when non-copyright holders posted this material first...pretty fvcked up when this crap is determined by algorithms!

And note that many online platforms (including YouTube) require you to assert full ownership of EVERYTHING if posting any content for monetization. This includes all samples, loops and factory instrument/DAW soundsets even if they are explicitly licensed as OK for commercial use in derivative works by their creators. I paid a high-profile IP attorney for an opinion on this - he said this is CYA monopolistic BS on their part, so if there's a claim you've indemnified them. I don't think it's actually legal for The Goog to contravene downstream license terms - but who has the deep pockets to fight them on it when they have the power to reset your view count or deactivate your account?

At the end of the day the idea that you can own an idea is pretty strange in itself.

[Aloysius]

I want use some alias for music, not my real name

How about, Mim Jorrison? Polly Darton? Saylor Twift and The Lisps?

[jancivil]

For ASCAP and BMI the name of the act is as good as a name, yes.

I have one thing I ever did which is very much a property worth stealing, it's a screenplay however, which I joined the guild (formerly known as SWG) to protect as well as registering copyright.
For my music on youtube, I state ALL RIGHTS RESERVED with my name and '©2019' to discourage people, albeit the music is most of it not all that accessible; there are however people stealing music for film use in this world.
In the US asserting copyright is a copyright.

[deastman]

Writing ALL RIGHTS RESERVED has no legal effect. And you’ll need to register your copyright if you want to go after violators for anything more than statutory damages.

Sadly, I constantly run into well-meaning violators who believe that they’re entitled to use any material they want for any purpose they want, as long as they attribute credit to the original author. I don’t understand how that belief got started, that citing your sources permits you to still work from others.

[vurt]

misunderstanding "fair use"
which i constantly see youtubers referring to, posting from the uk, where we dont have fair use

[Hooj]

you’ll need to register your copyright if you want to go after violators for anything more than statutory damages.

^ This ^

[Harry_HH]

Not sure of Finnish process...

In Finnland its easy piece of cake - the national organization Teosto has the use of pseudonym in their option. Just join Teosto and register you IP via their system, its valid internationally.

[jancivil]

Writing ALL RIGHTS RESERVED has no legal effect.

It may be considered as legally obsolete. However the meaning of this is, at one time it was legally required in asserting the copyright, along with ©. Now it isn't, technically. I would still do it, and as I said I strenuously protected one creation with the Copyright Office and registering w. the appropriate guild. Under my legal name btw, which was required.

The US is party to the Berne convention since 1989; which some argue supersedes the requirements above.
In all countries where the Berne Convention standards apply, copyright is automatic, and need not be obtained through official registration with any government office. Once an idea has been reduced to tangible form, for example by securing it in a fixed medium (such as a drawing, sheet music, photograph, a videotape, or a computer file), the copyright holder is entitled to enforce his or her exclusive rights.[21]
Berne

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright#Registration

By every definition I can find, asserting copyright here is automatically a copyright, cf., the Berne Convention.


There are distinct advantages of registering w. the Copyright Office if you're going to sue:

1. Establishes a public record of the copyright holder's ownership.

2. Enables copyright holders to sue infringers in federal court.

3. If made before or within 5 years of publication, establishes sufficient evidence in court concerning the validity of the copyright and the facts stated in the copyright certificate.

4. If registration is made within 3 months of publication of the work or at any time prior to an infringement of the work, the copyright owner is entitled to seek statutory damages and attorney's fees in federal court. Without registration, only an award of actual damages and profits will be available, and these can be quite difficult to prove.

[Zamnix]

Hi

Here again, Ty for all replies, same night I posted my post my comp crashed and finally
now I am getting my things working again.. so ty for all replies, I just wonder
if I should be even more confused..teosto.. fine...hmm

Sam

[jochicago]

You legally own the rights to any creative work you make the second you make it. The registration aspect of things is to leave a proper track record so you can claim it and have means to defend it when a dispute arises.

Releasing your creative work under an artistic name is a pretty typical thing. But in modern times you want to make sure the track record is set correctly so you can easily connect the right platforms and claim your work. Like the example above of Youtube not knowing you are the owner and taking your work down due to "copyright infringement".

Beyond that, I'm not sure on the best steps so I'm here to listen. I imagine that the services where you register your music would allow you to use whatever assumed name you want to use, in addition to using your real or business name to record ownership and collect royalties. But I don't know enough regarding the details of the platforms.

[Musicisbest]

I want use some alias for music, not my real name

How about, Mim Jorrison? Polly Darton? Saylor Twift and The Lisps?

Personally I use Sailor Twit.

[Harry_HH]

I have considered Mayor Twat, a.k.a. B. Johnson.

[Benedict]

The Berne business is your main protection. After that, big scary lawyers (or bikies).

As for using a pseudonym, not an issue so long as you can reasonably prove that you are he if ever needed. Usually, your dated DAW files should about cover that.

The reality tho is you absolutely have to consider the likelihood that anything you create is going to be Vanilla Iced away and become a #1 hit anywhere but in the little island off Iceland. The one that is melted so badly there is only one Rapper left and even he is considering becoming a Black Metal act instead so the island's goat stops stealing his washing off the line.

Pop it on YouTube with a good video (like what you'd want to see on MTV) and hope more than 4 people listen without giving you a thumbs down.



p.s. one would wonder why you wanted to be anomalous tho as people are rarely fans of non-people. KISS and King Diamond may wear makeup, but they are clearly still people present in the art.