Music Copyright Information
ASCAP's ACE is a database of song titles licensed by ASCAP in the United States, giving the names of the songwriters and the names, contact persons, addresses, and phone numbers of publishers to contact if you want to use the work. Most titles also list artists who have made a commercial recording of the song.
The BMI HyperRepertoire Internet Song Title Database provides access to the song title registration information contained in the BMI repertoire, including foreign works registered with BMI for performance in the United States and arrangements of works in the public domain. Searchable by artist, writer, song title, or publisher.
Copyright, Intellectual Property Rights, and Licensing Issues (Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE) organizes links to organizations, projects and initiatives, articles, reports, policies and other resources concerned with copyright and related issues in the digital environment.
Crash Course in Copyright (University of Texas) is a copyright primer and tutorial geared to the academic community.
Guide to Copyright for Music Librarians (Music Library Association) includes the MLA's statements on the Copyright Law and Fair Use in Music and Digital Transmission of Electronic Reserves.
Music Plagiarism Website (Arthur W. Diamond Law Library, Columbia University) comprises hundreds of documents (texts, scores, audio and video files) associated with music copyright infringement cases in the United States from 1845 forward, with analysis and commentary.
Public Domain Music with Lists of Public Domain Songs (Haven Sound, Inc.) provides information and resources for identifying public domain materials, including a concise and helpful overview of the differences between copyright and public domain. The heart of the site is a 3,000 song alphabetical list of royalty-free music anyone may use in any way.
United States Copyright Office (Library of Congress) is a good way to check up on the latest developments in copyright legislation. Includes the Copyright Registration for Musical Compositions and other forms (Adobe Acrobat reader required).
The WATCH File (University of Texas at Austin and the University of Reading Library, Reading, England) contains primarily, but not exclusively, names and addresses of copyright holders or contact persons for authors and artists whose archives are housed, in whole or in part, in libraries and archives in North American and the United Kingdom.
When Works Pass into the Public Domain is a handy table which includes material from the new Term Extension Act, PL 105-298. By Laura Gassaway (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).