How do I know if the music I download is copyright protected before I upload it to YouTube?

@Kathryne - I take it that you have just made that up. If not, then you have been misinformed. The fact is that music eventually becomes out of copyright - in accordance with the copyright laws in individual jurisdictions. Copyright Law in the USA is more complex than in most countries, but here is a summary which I quote: “… The Term of Copyright

The answer to the question of figuring out when copyright on a song that is not stock music, royalty free music or copyright free music lies in the term of copyright, according to U.S. Copyright Law. The term of copyright on a piece of music essentially depends on a few factors, one of the most important and basic being when it was first created or published. For works created after January 1, 1978 the term of copyright on a work is the life of the author plus 70 years. For works that were created for hire and anonymous or pseudonymous pieces of music, the term is 120 years from creation or 90 years from first publication (whichever preceded).

Those works created before 1978 with terms of copyright that have not expired are protected for 95 years from the time of first publication. And finally, to make things more confusing, works published before 1933 are up for grabs, because the term of copyright for songs published before 1978 was 75 years. And songs published before this time might still be covered by copyright because of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which extended the length of copyright by twenty years. While this law was passed with the help of Sonny Bono, it really was sparked by the Disney Company; the company strongly pushed this law to passing because it was worried the copyrights on Walt Disney’s famous cartoon characters - Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, etc. - were going to expire (and they would have at the end of the 20th century) along with many other works published in the 1920s, along with “Happy Birthday” (before it was picked up by Time Warner).

As you can see, Copyright Law is pretty complex, so the best bet to figuring out whether a song is copyrighted or not is to seek the help of a seasoned attorney specializing in Copyright Law. …” from the website at RoyaltyFreeMusic.com http://funadvice.com/r/bigga0p36k7 .

no it isnt.

it costs to copyright and it doesnt last forever and some artists that are now dead, well the companys, some havent bothered to re copyright the songs and are free for the taking.

yes all of it is, just put i do not own this song in the description and it automatically puts the name of the song and such in the description. other wise its illegal to have that certain song on your profile

Yes. all music is copyrighted.. Unless it is not yet published.

Yes. all music is copyrighted.. Unless it is not yet published.

Copyrights can be assumed and do not need to be registered. Any intellectual property should be assumed protected unless otherwise stated or granted by the copyright holder whether assumed or registered. There is such a thing as public domain which include good ol’ tunes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, or “Row Your Boat”.

As a logo designer, I have assumed copyrights on all my work until I relinquish rights to the customer. I have free art that I do, that I have to state nearby, that the specific art pieces are up for grabs for free non commercial use.

Bottom line; it never hurts to ask the copyright holder for permission to repost.

youth lad :|

thanks(:

alright thanks :)

ok thank you(:

you are most welcome =)

you are most welcome =)