"Jon J. Yeager" wrote in message ...
This question must get asked a lot - and I apologize if it's in any sort of
FAQ I haven't seen - but how does an unpublished Canadian artist copyright
songs before putting them online or sending out demos... other than the
traditional registered timestamped snail-mail method?

Is there a "copyright office" that keeps a record of songs? Especially now
that they can easily be kept digitally via mp3 and don't take up any
physical space.

Calls to Canada Copyrights didn't lead to anything tangible, and I'm waiting
to hear back from the SOCAN.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

You will be able to have some legal leverage if you can manufacture
and sell a first pressing through some kind of distribution network,
big or small.

If you show that your work was complete and fixed in a commercially
available recording you will probably scare off anyone who might want
to take 'inspiration' from it.

I think you shouldn't worry unless the work has substantial
possibility for mass-appeal or commercial potential.

don't give away your publishing unless you have a guarantee that the
song will be commercially available through a national distribution
network within a reasonable amount of time, otherwise you will lose
control of the song for no reason and the publisher will increase its
catalog of songs for free.

MP3's have basically made a mess of global copyright infringement.