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Support Your Music » Legal Issues » Copyright/Trademark your Music

Protecting yourself early on and researching if you have any issues with things such as your band name being taken are key to avoiding issues down the road. We give you some of the basic research tools to help you. 
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Legal Zoom  
Legal Zoom is the cheapest way we have found to apply for a trademark on a band name or tag line. They also can help with copywriting songs. You do the entire process online.  
 
NameChk   Free Service
NameChk is a great free tool to check if your band name is taken across 70 plus social networks. 
 
United States Copyright Office  
This government website has the forms to fill out to copyright your songs.
 
United States Patent and Trademark Organization  
This government website is helpful to see if your name is taken and how to trademark your name so no one can take it and all the forms you need.
 
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Author: MusicNomad
Before you settle in on a band name check to see if someone else has taken it by doing a quick check on google, my space, and USPTO website. All are free searches.
Author: MusicNomad
Getting an official registered service mark for a band name or logo is the best way to protect your rights to use them but costs can run about $1500 for filing with the government and $1500 in lawyer fees. You can register in your state for a much lower fee. Some states are under $100 but just protects you in that state.
Author: Ben Mclane, attorney
If you are a musician or songwriter, the copyright law affects your craft, so it is important to have a basic understanding of it. The term "copyright" really means that the creator has the right to copy. If an artist writes an original song, that artist is the owner of the copyright. As it pertains to artists in general, the copyright law basically grants the creator the right to (1) reproduce (e.g., make copies), (2) distribute (e.g., sell copies) and (3) perform (e.g., play the song live). www.benmclane.com
Author: Ben Mclane, attorney
A band contemplating a serious career in the business would be well advised to take the necessary steps to protect its name by obtaining trademark protection. That way, the act will not only be secure in knowing that it has acquired the right to the name, but also the artist will not be sued for infringing someone else's name. www.benmclane.com

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