Is This A Scam?
 
We wanted to answer this question directly because we occasionally hear inaccurate information being circulated about the copyright process that should be addressed.
 
First, the original founder of SongRegistration and its services is a licensed attorney with over 35 years experience practicing law in California.  Whereas, most everything you read on the Internet about the copyright process comes from the anonymous rants of those who have no legal background whatsoever!
 
Second, SongRegistration™ is well-known and well-respected within the music community and absolutely legitimate!   We are most definitely NOT a scam, nor are the copyright registration services we provide!
 
While we can't speak for other websites that try to copy us, we can say that SongRegistration™ prides itself in having served literally tens of thousands of songwriters and music publishers worldwide over the years, providing essential legal evidence for establishing their copyrights.
 
Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise (a) does NOT understand how the copyright process works and (b) thinks — wrongly — that filing with the Copyright Office is what "copyrights" material (it does NOT)!
 
While we most certainly encourage composers to also file their material with the Copyright Office (for various statutory benefits, as well as a prerequisite to filing an action in federal court), FEDERAL REGISTRATION IS NOT NECESSARY TO SECURE COPYRIGHT PROTECTION.
 
There is a huge number of songwriters out there who just don't want to deal with the hassle — or aren't familiar enough with the procedures required — or don't have the funds or the time — to go through the process required by the Copyright Office.
 
And those are the songwriters that SongRegistration™ was originally intended to help!
 
The garagebands and parttime songwriters... those posting their melodies on YouTube or other Internet sites... composers writing for their church or country tunes for their friends... rappers and local musicians...  as well as professional songwriters and music publishers who just want a FAST, EASY, CHEAP way to document proof of their songs' creation dates and content.
 
These are the people — those without major record label support or attorneys on retainer — for whom SongRegistration™ continues to provide inexpensive, yet essential, services!   No matter what you hear, the absolute truth is that YOU MUST HAVE CREDIBLE EVIDENCE OF WHEN YOU FIRST PUT YOUR ORIGINAL MATERIAL INTO PHYSICAL FORM to prove your rights under copyright law!
 
And you do NOT need to file anything with the Copyright Office for that!   (The Copyright Office explains this in their own literature, linked in our FAQ #10.)
 
So if you ever hear anyone question our services, or the copyright process itself (and the fact that no federal registration is required to secure copyright protection), take their opinion with a grain of salt.   Ask yourself whether they have the legal background to truly give you such advice!   And check out the composers and music publishers from around the world who regularly use our services (you can find them in our Song Libraries section, as well as in our Testimonials or Facebook pages).
 
Also, ask a real-live copyright attorney in your area exactly what is required to prove your material is protected under copyright law.   You will discover that our services are absolutely legitimate and provide a great way for songwriters to secure the evidence needed to establish their copyrights!
 
We hope this information answers any questions you may have about SongRegistration™ and we wish you great success with your songwriting endeavors!