Copyright is a number of different rights which the law grants exclusively to owners of copyright works. Basically, if you are a composer of original music or a songwriter of lyrics, the New Zealand Copyright Act (1994) gives you, and only you, the right to:
- reproduce your work in material form, for example, on a CD, in a film, a photocopy, or a computer disk;
- publish a work (make it available to the public)
- perform a work in public
- broadcast a work
- transmit a work by cable
- make an adaptation of the work, such as translating the lyrics or making an arrangement, and do any of the above in relation to the adaptation.
As the copyright owner of your original music and lyrics, these are your exclusive rights. Nobody else can use your work in these ways without getting your permission first, and, if necessary, paying you a royalty for this use.
This is where APRA steps in - as a collective non-profit organisation we do collectively what would otherwise be difficult for music writers to do on an individual basis, and license music users on behalf of our members.
How do I apply for copyright?
You don’t. Copyright protection happens automatically in NZ. The minute you write down your lyrics or music (chord progression) or tape it onto a CD, tape or computer disk, your work is covered.
How will others know I’m the copyright owner in my work?
You can let others know that your work is copyright protected by marking all your copies (print and tapes, CDs etc) with a copyright notice. We recommend including a copyright symbol (©), your name (and the names of any other co-creators) and the year in which the work was created. For example: "© 2006 MY Sun & OD Rain". It helps if you keep one copy of the manuscript and tape marked with this copyright notice and if you have this copy signed and dated by a reliable independent witness such as a Justice of the Peace.
Keep a diary as evidence
You should also keep a diary of your works and any events that affect their development. You can use this information as evidence to prove that you are the right copyright owner if there is ever a copyright dispute over the work. Duration of copyright? The lifetime of the composer (copyright owner) plus 50 years.
More information?
First read our Copyright FAQ - for Music Creators - and if your question isn't answered please contact us.