I've got the rights to that!

Copyrighting music. We hear that all the time with various performers and musicians in the music biz as I like to call it. But how about music teachers like me? The "Ms. T's" of the world. What rights do we have to protect these things we create and distribute to our students or to others?

I, of course, first wanted to know how to get a copyright. The USPTO (US Patent and Trademark Office) has a great link under their FAQ titled "Musicians and Artists." From there as I explored, I was floored to learn that I was done looking at the USPTO site and redirected to the Library of Congress Copyright Office.

I should also mention that both of these websites advise legal council if you are really, really interested in doing this sort of thing for a real song/ project/ intellectual property. Not being an attorney, or knowing one, and for the sake of my blog, I am embarking on this without legal help. I hope you'll forgive me.

Anyway, I looked at the Library of Congress Copyright Office page, and voila! "Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright For Students and Teachers" sounds like the music to my ears, and the place to start. There is a CUTE and easy to understand (especially for blonds like me!) video that tells you what copyrights are, how to read them, and how to apply for them. It even has a PDF that I linked to give you the steps. There is an application, a fee and then you mail it in and when it reaches the Copyright Office you are all set (pending their OK). Four months down the road I'll have myself a handy, dandy certificate and we'll be good to go!

"WAIT ONE MINUTE!"

Groooooooan. It's my conscious. You know. The one that thinks things through before I run headfirst into a problem. OK. What did I forget?

"Do YOU really own that song? Or does it belong to the school system/ school/ jointly between any of you?"

Oh yeah. Let's look at some of the fine print in my school system.... which actually wasn't too terrible to find. When I searched "copyright" on the website I came across this gem: Copyright For Musicians Slides .

One of the slides that really stuck out and struck me was this:

So I need to check with my school system to find out if they own the copyright. I looked up our Rules and Procedures and found this for ME as an employee:

A work created by an employee within the scope of his/her employment in Baltimore County Public Schools is a work made for hire.  Baltimore County Public Schools are the initial owner of all the rights of copyright in the work unless a prior written agreement is signed by both parties.

Use the following copyright notice for Baltimore County Public Schools' publications:

Copyright © 1997 Baltimore County Public Schools.  All rights reserved.

And for students:

vii. GUIDELINES FOR USE OF STUDENT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

A. BCPS WILL PUBLISH OR PRODUCE A STUDENT’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CREATED DURING SCHOOL-SPONSORED ACTIVITIES AND/OR LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY AND SUPERINTENDENT’S RULE 6202, TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC INFORMATION, SERVICES, AND NETWORKS.

B. THE NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT SHALL BE USED WHEN ELECTRONICALLY PUBLISHING OR PRODUCING STUDENT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

Well OK then. It's time I send a hypothetical email to the Law Office of my School System just to see what I am dealing with and what needs to happen. In the meantime I want YOU to check this article out. Also check out what the School Library Journal thought. What are your opinions and perspectives? Does your school system have the same thing?