How can I add copyrights to my mp3 files? is there a program for this?

Question

10 pts....?

Answer 1

A copyright isn't a thing you attach to your file, it's an intellectual property thing/feature that protects you from someone copying your work. In order to protect your work in court, you have to describe the work and file a registration form to the government. That provide a record of your copyright in the event you need to take someone to court.

Legalzoom.com has a nice description:

The way in which copyright protection is secured is frequently misunderstood. Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created. A work is "created" when it is fixed into a book, tape or electronic medium for the first time. Thus, for example, a song can be fixed in sheet music or in a digital tape, or both. No publication, registration or other action in the U.S. Copyright Office is required to secure copyright. However, in order to enforce the copyright and for many other practical reasons, it will be necessary to register the copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Some of the advantages of registering a copyright are the following:

* Registration establishes a public record of the copyright claim.
* Before an infringement suit may be filed in court, registration is necessary for works of U. S. origin.
* If made before or within 5 years of publication, registration establishes sufficient evidence in court concerning the validity of the copyright and the facts stated in the copyright certificate.
* If registration is made within 3 months after publication of the work or prior to an infringement of the work, statutory damages and attorney's fees will be available to the copyright owner in court actions. Otherwise, only an award of actual damages and profits is available to the copyright owner.
* Registration allows the owner of the copyright to record the registration with the U.S. Customs Service for protection against the importation of infringing copies.

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So basically, after you create your MP3, you document it and file to register your copyright. Then you refer to it as copyrighted work so that others know you're watching.

Answer 2

I agree with LW: copyright is something legal, it is not "part of" an MP3.
HOWEVER...
MP3s are digital files that contain "hidden" information (called "TAGS"): a header and a trailer, called "ID3v1" and "ID3v2.4".
These contain the copyright owner details!
I designed a "tagger" to read MP3 files and correct the contents of the tags, for a client.
Go to www.skytargets.com, click on web-designs.
On the bottom of the page, I will add the tagger download today (27/10/07, at 15:00 GMT).
You can download it, it is free and just an exe file written in VB6.
Once installed, run it.
Click "Select" to select an MP3 file.
It reads the file, checks for the tags and displays what it found.
You can edit the tags and save the MP3 with the updated tags.
email me if you have any problem...