Generally speaking, Copyright is a method of protection for various types of created works.  A work can be a musical composition, a play, a book, or a sound recording to name a few.  Copyright is the most effective method of protecting your work from being plagiarized.   Although people have found various methods to protect their creations such as sending themselves a letter with the work enclosed so the postmark defines a creation date, nothing is more effective and stands up better in the courts than Copyright.

To Copyright a work, you must file the appropriate copyright form with the U.S. Copyright Office.  The form needed for printed music is Form PA, which can be downloaded by clicking the link.  Carefully fill out the Copyright form and mail it to the U.S. Copyright Office with a photocopy of your work (not the original) and a check or money order for $35.00 (at the time of this writing) made out to the U.S. Copyright Office.  In four to six weeks, after your work has been categorized and processed, you will receive a Copyright Certification which will include your work’s unique reference number as categorized by the Copyright Office.  You will need this document to present to an attorney if you feel your work has been plagiarized.

Recent changes in the Copyright Laws take into effect dual creation.   For example, the Copyright Law maintains that it is possible for a composer in New York and a composer in Los Angeles to write the exact same piece of music at the exact same time without knowledge of the other person.  If this situation is proved in the courts, each composer shares an equal percentage of the song and in the revenue stream generated by it.

All works on dorm40music.com are copyrighted and are the original works of the arranger listed on the title page of the work.  Works that are arrangements of Copyrigted music have been granted a print license by its publisher.

Titles listed on dorm40music.com which are based on music that is not in the public domain has been secured a print license.  Additionally, the original composer has been fully credited on the score and/or parts as well.

For example, if we write an arrangement of I'm Only Sleeping by John Lennon, we will have to contact Maclen Music to obtain the print license and pay any associated fees required before uploading the score to be sold.  Not doing so is a Copyright Violation even though the arrangement is an original work, because it is based on a work that has been previously Copyrighted is is not in the public domain.   Writing an arrangement of Green Sleeves would not require this action because Green Sleeves is in the public domain.   Most folk songs and classical works written before 1923 are in the public domain.  However, it is not a good idea to assume anything as some 20th Century composers created additional arrangements of their own original works when their Copyright lapsed ensuring an additional term on the work.   Igor Stravinsky was a stickler for doing this.   When in doubt, we do the research.

dorm40music.com will assume no liability for listed works that violate U.S. Copyright Laws as any violation would be non intentional.   HOWEVER, any music violating U.S. Copyright Laws will be removed from the site when we are notified.