Keeping your work safe with Cosynd
As an artist and creator, making sure your work is protected is essential. Fortunately, select services like Cosynd makes it easy to put legal safeguards on your music.
Guest post by Randi Zimmerman of the Symphonic Blog
It’s already the end of August… don’t miss out on Hot Copyright Summer! Seriously though, it’s time to quit procrastinating and make sure your work is protected with Cosynd. Not only is it easy to do, but it’ll help you big time down the road. Here’s everything you need to know.
Here’s the rundown…
It’s YOUR responsibility to make sure your work is registered so that you can legally protect your original creations.
The good news is that with our partner Cosynd, you can protect your music, videos, images, literature, and more in minutes for $25 per registration application (plus federal filing fees) — that’s nearly 80% less expensive than similar services.
Cosynd makes everything easier than ever. They handle the preparation, review, e-filing, and handling of correspondence with the U.S. Copyright Office (USCO) until you receive your certificates of registration.
Why is this so important?
Registering your copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office grants you many protections… including the right to file a lawsuit.
Don’t wait for legal issues to pop up to take care of these essential actions. If something comes up, you’ll need your copyrights registered before filing any sort of lawsuit. If not, it can take months to complete and can be at least 10x more expensive to expedite registrations if you find yourself in a jam.
- Not to mention, registering early can grant you a large payout – up to $150,000 per infringement PLUS your legal fees. (Other types of registrations or mailing your music to yourself are not substitutes for USCO registration.)
Level the playing field.
Up until now, there was only one place where you could file and endure a copyright infringement lawsuit — in federal court, in person, with an average price tag of approximately six figures.
Passed in 2020, The Copyright Alternative in Small–Claims Enforcement Act (the CASE Act) now creates a voluntary small claims court, within the U.S. Copyright Office that will provide an easy, affordable, and accessible way for all copyright owners to file claims of infringement and other grievances.
The CASE Act’s primary objectives include:
- Creating a Copyright Claims Board (CCB), comprised of three judges that will try cases digitally (copyright owners will not have to appear physically in person in a federal court).
- Allowing creators to represent themselves (copyright owners do not need to hire an attorney).
- Granting copyright owners the opportunity to recover up to $30,000 per case, with a cap of $15,000 in statutory damages per work infringed.
Live outside of the U.S.?
No problem! — No matter the nationality or where a creator is based, music travels beyond its borders. Most infringements occur in the U.S. That’s why, if you’re eligible, creators around the globe should consider registering directly with the USCO for substantial protections.
Ready to register your works with the U.S. Copyright Office?
The current USCO fee to correct errors on existing registrations is $100. If you misfile an application, your federal filing fee is non-refundable and you’ll have to wait for several months for your application to be approved (or denied again).
When you use Cosynd to register your copyrights, you never need to:
- Think about what application type you should be using.
- Think about what work type category that applies to you.
- Enter repetitive data over and over.
- Read through lengthy instruction documentation to complete your application.
- Worry about making any of the errors that cause applications to be delayed or denied.
In Conclusion…
In addition to registration, Cosynd is the only solution that can also help you simultaneously manage all of your split sheets, work for hire agreements, and other copyright ownership agreements with one easy account.
