Basic Rights

• The copyright holder of a musical work has the exclusive right to reproduce, sell or make copies of, perform, distribute, promote and make derivative works of the piece of music in question. Copyright grants the holder these exclusive rights for the lifetime of the author plus 70 years.
  
  

Registration

• Copyright is automatic; as soon as a person creates an original musical work, the creator holds the copyright to that work. However, many people choose to register their copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office for extra proof; this requires filling out a form, submitting a copy of the work and paying $35.
  
  

Types of Copyright

• Copyright on a musical work is a copyright on the composition, whereas lyrics are protected under the literary category. Sound recordings are yet another copyright category (referring specifically to the digital fixing of the composition in a format that can be replayed) and the holder of the musical works copyright automatically has a right to the first sound recording of the piece.
  
  

Licenses

• Other people or entities that wish to use the work need the permission of the copyright holder, who generally gives permission in the form of a license. A license is a legal agreement that specifies how another person can use a work; a license can be as specific as a one-time reproduction in one place (a single not-for-profit concert in Budapest), or as general as the copyright itself. Typically, but not always, copyright holders charge for licenses.
  
  

Infringement

• Copyright infringement occurs when a person reproduces, sells or makes copies of, performs, distributes, promotes or makes a derivative work without the permission of the copyright holder. Anonymous file sharing, making copies of a CD for friends or even a small, one second sample of a musical work (as long as it is recognizable) is an infringement and the copyright holder can press charges.