This article ponders on the
importance of copyright in music
Intangible assets are
part of the wider pack of Intellectual property, which refers broadly to the
creations by a person's intellect or through a
unique talent. They are given in forms of intellectual property rights that protect
the interests of innovators and creators by confers ownership in forms of rights
over their creations. It includes
patents, trademarks, trade secrets, industrial design, and copyright. IP is
often undervalued because the term itself covers a wide array of property, and
it's often not tangible property, like land or equipment, but is instead
created. In music, copyright is essential since it has a very major role to play for the artist to deduce value from their music.
Copyrights protect original literary, musical, dramatic, and creative works, both published and unpublished. The copyright contents are protected for the author's lifetime and then an additional fifty years after the author's death. It protects the expression of ideas. The ideas in work do not need to be original, but the form of expression must be an original creation by the creator. Copyright are negative rights that exclude another from:
- Create a new version of the work
- Reproduce the work in its whole or part,
- Perform the work in public
- Make copies available to the public by selling, renting, leasing, or lending them.
Copyright protects the economic and moral rights of authors/owners. Economic rights allow right holders of copyright, such as authors of music, to derive financial reward from the use of their works by others. Moral rights allow authors and creators to take specific actions to preserve and protect their association with their work.
The author does not need to register the work with
the Copyright Office to enjoy legal protection for these IP assets since
copyright protection is automatic. However, registration is recommended since
it provides a public record of the work and may be used as evidence in the
event of a lawsuit.
Finally, understanding intellectual property is critical for artists and producers to guarantee that their work is protected. This allows musicians to benefit from their works, whether they are in their original form or adaptation. Getting into the legal elements of the music business may seem monotonous, but artists need to make informed decisions to avoid being taken advantage of.
By:
Onesmus K Joseph - MBA, ACIS,
BAP, CFIP, PPL
MPHIL Candidate - KNUST (Ghana)✋
Governance Professional
josephonesmus@yahoo.com
