I'm Jodi Sax, an Internet and entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. I have been appointed to be your virtual tour guide through the wonderful maze of intellectual property rights, musicians' interests, and the Internet. For my first column, I'd like to introduce some of the concepts we'll cover in future columns, so that no one gets lost along the way.
Digital distribution is where music is headed.
This raises many issues regarding retention and value of your rights. Copyright protects works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. The present term of copyright protection is the life of the author plus 70 years for individuals. Registration, though not required, is recommended for additional benefits. Trademark refers to any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used, in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods.