Proving Ownership of a Sound Recording

1. The problems of copyrighting; Sound Recordings (Recorded music, Voice, Sound effects, Songs, Music, & lyrics). 

If you sang it, said it, even recorded it yourself, do you own it? 

One of the most significant issues facing the people involved in creating original Sound Recordings is the risk of plagiarism or counterfeiting and the loss of royalties. 

We are often asked, “How can I prove ownership of my music, songs, or audio recording? 

Read on for the cheapest and easiest way to copyright your audio/sound recordings.

2. Copyright VS Proof of Ownership

Before discussing ownership of Sound Recordings, it is essential to understand the distinction between obtaining copyright and proving your claim of ownership. 

You can learn more about Copyright, copyright protection, and proof of ownership in our How to copyright and prove ownership of your intellectual property article.

Here's a summary of that article.

Copyright law is internationally recognised, and those rights are automatically afforded to the creator or creators of the work. 

To protect and copyright your work, all that is required to preserve your work, music, or art is the following.

1. Place a “Copyright Notice” on all public copies of your work.
2. Be able to prove the work you created.

3. Can you copyright a sound recording/audio file? 

Yes, you can copyright any of your work. For example, if your business produces written and audio work, you automatically own the copyright of said work.

Copyright pretty much protects every medium in which a work of art exists; this also includes content, code, and pictures on the internet.  

3.1 The Benefits of protecting the copyright of a Sound Recording.

If you can prove your own claim to your original work, anyone who infringes it can be prosecuted.

An infringement of copyright is when another person, business, or company uses all or part of the protected work without seeking prior consent from the owner. 

This is why it's essential that any intellectual property is registered and or the original work protected. 

‍

3.2 Copyright Protection for Sound Recordings; How does this work? 

In most countries, the work you wish to copyright does not need to be registered with a government department unless you live in the United States. However, if you live in the U.S, then legally, your copyrights need to be registered with the U.S copyright office Copyright.gov.

So what about the other countries?

In countries that do not require copyright registration, you must Place a “Copyright Notice” on all public copies of your work. However, the most critical aspect of the whole copyright process is creating immutable, indisputable proof that you did the job.

4. Why creating indisputable and immutable proof of ownership for sound recordings is a must!

If you haven't protected your work and another person or business infringes your copyright, you have no leg to stand on and zero recourse. 

If you have protected your work and your work is used without your permission, you can take legal action against the infringing party because you can prove absolute ownership.

You need a lot more evidence to prove ownership than just your word?

5. What if it's my voice on the recording? Surely that proves I own it?

 Unfortunately not!

When it comes to audio/sound recordings, ownership may lie with the producers or the person who paid for it to be produced. But, think big record labels and well-known artists; royalties don't always go to the artist!

This is why indisputable proof is key to protection!

6. How to prove ownership of a sound recording.

There are many ways listed on the internet of how to prove ownership of a sound recording. Unfortunately, most are expensive and many ineffective; here are a few examples; 

• By using the file’s metadata, such as time and date. This is ineffective as metadata can be re-written. 
• Emailing the file to myself or a friend. However, this way is ineffective because companies such as Gmail and yahoo own the servers where your emails are stored. They can simply deny you access, wipe the servers or be turned off by the companies entirely. 
• Use a Copyright registration service. This option is expensive and ranges from $35 to $200 for just a single recording. These services are also centralised; Centralised services can simply deny you access, wipe the servers or be turned off by the companies entirely. 

7. How can LifeHash help, and why is it the best solution?

LifeHash uses the blockchain to store the original digital footprint of an audio file. This digital footprint is called a HASH. A hash can then be compared to the original or disputed audio file to prove ownership. Blockchains store the information anchored into them indefinitely, making the information stored on them immutable (unchangeable) while providing the owner a single source of truth for the future. LifeHash does not hold a copy of the original audio file. Ownership of the original file stays with the user. 

The lifeHash solution is the cheapest and most definitive copyright solution on the market. Our mobile application has a freemium subscription for everyday users. For artists, freelancers, business and enterprise lifehash has a suite of tools and flexible monthly pricing options for protecting the copyright of any digital file or audio recording.