Originally Posted By: Mike Halloran


Example: Somebody wrone a song and filed PA Unpublished. Famous folk singer friend records it in the 1960s—song is uncredited but her record company pays the mechanicals. Famous English band releases their version song. 1978 Law takes effect. Fourteen years later, the writer’s daughter hears song at party and says, “I didn’t know you knew any (band name here). Writer wants credit and back royalties—attorney find out there’s no Published certificate and won’t take case till it is filed. Writer files; attorney sues. Band countersues for Copyright violation. Court tells both sides to settle—which they do—but rules that no monies are due before the date of that certificate, even though Famous folk singer’s recording is now over 20 years old and that record company knew who the writer was. Writer takes this to the Court of Chancery and is told that UK is the same as the US: no royalties due before the Published date. Estimates are that writer was out about $18M.

Since this happened before the World Wide Web, almost no one is able to look this up but it was widely reported at the time. Anybody know the song, band, writer, folk singer? The band shouldn’t be too hard to guess.


Just curious Mike, could you share more to this story for us? I'm curious to know more and what song / artist this case pertained to. It does sound like quite the cautionary tale.


Originally Posted By: Mike Halloran

It depends. Multiple registrations, each covering different aspects of a recording, are quite common but nothing to worry about now. Should you get to that stage, your attorney should be involved—and yes, you will need one. Should you be so lucky, it could easily be a complex negotiation involving multiple attorneys.


I've spoken to an attorney, but she didn't know the answer to this.

Could you explain a bit how the song gets registered separately as a PA and SR, and the uses for such separate registration? (Better licensing terms, protection, etc.)