# Intellectual property and registering writins



## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

I was wondering, since I write very often (a whole variety from proza to articles and essays) ... Sometimes I spend a lot of emotional energy on my writings, or hours and hours of research. The times when I feel proud about the result (which happens not all the times obviously) I do feel like I would like to "copyright" my writings. 

In my native country there is an organisation which deals with intellectual property, ranging from songs to literature and essays. People can register their writing in a sort of "depot" and thereby become the official owner of their creation. Even while I live abroad already for several years, the organisation in my native place was the first one where I checked. Registering your writing is easy, but it's bloody expensive. 30 to 40 euro per piece, for one writing with a relatively high frequency that's a bit disencouraging. I will probably inform as well how things are elsewhere where I'd have the right to do it (I'm not sure if you can register your writings anywhere you wish or if it has to be in either your country of citizenship or country of residence)

Anyways, since many young artists probably want to use such protection, I'm sure an affordable option must exist? Does anyone know about this and have some hints for me? How is the situation here in España?


PS: not claiming that I'd be a talented writer, I just write to vent my emotions. However, regardless if other people would like my writings, they are my creations and there is an emotional connection with them. Hence why I'd like to register them in my name, even when I know I probably won't be the next big novelist


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

You probably need to get in touch with the *Sociedad General de Autores y Editores*

this is a link to their website Sociedad General de Autores y Editores, but I don't expext it will be cheap!! They're tryibng to get money out of everybody. The latest was to fine hairdresssers who had the radio on in the background of their salon, if they didn't have a licence.


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

Well, I did a lot of research and calling around and appears that here it is quite cheap. Less than 5 € to register a piece of proza, a collection of poems, an article or collection thereof, ... Easy and cheap  The local governments have a service taking care of it.

PS: intellectual property is valid in all countries who signed the Bern treaty (which in practice is like 90% of the world) and the intellectual property/authorship is valid until 70 years past the death of the author. That is what I was explained.



The one thing I still didn't grasp is the difference between copyright and intellectual property. It was explained to me by one guy working for the local governmental office for intellectual property as follows: "copyright is basically a sign indicating not to copy the creation - it is mostly used for programs, designs and technical items. When you want to prove your authorship and hold the rights (= legally own ??) your poems or articles or proze, you don't have to care about copyrights but about intellectual property". The latter can be registered at the local governmental office for less than 5€ per item you register ; but is the explanation above true that intellectual property gives you the rights to what you wrote (= you legally own it) and that copyright is a totally different thing?



The only frustrating thing is that at the department to register only one guy speaks some English and French, so let's just say communication wasn't that smoothly, but in the end I know what I wanted to know ...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

gerrit said:


> Well, I did a lot of research and calling around and appears that here it is quite cheap. Less than 5 € to register a piece of proza, a collection of poems, an article or collection thereof, ... Easy and cheap  The local governments have a service taking care of it.
> 
> PS: intellectual property is valid in all countries who signed the Bern treaty (which in practice is like 90% of the world) and the intellectual property/authorship is valid until 70 years past the death of the author. That is what I was explained.
> 
> ...


 
OK, I'm confused. Your flags say you're from Belgium, but that you're an expat in Turkey, but you want to know about copyright in Spain!!
I don't know anything about copyright or intellectual property but you could try asking here for a definition.
Spanish-English - WordReference Forums
By the way, did you get in touch with the SGAE or where did you get the info from?


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> OK, I'm confused. Your flags say you're from Belgium, but that you're an expat in Turkey, but you want to know about copyright in Spain!!
> I don't know anything about copyright or intellectual property but you could try asking here for a definition.
> Spanish-English - WordReference Forums
> By the way, did you get in touch with the SGAE or where did you get the info from?


From GenCat. They have a registration office for intellectual property.

SGAE is a membership-based organisation that makes sure you get paid when people play your music or film etc in public events, so that's a few steps further ...

What I want is to just make sure the writings are my property, that I own them. From what I understand intellectual property is what I need, whereas copyrights are a different issue. Correct?


PS: I am an expat in Spain but used to live in Turkey and someday wanna return there as I lost my heart to that country. However, won't be in the near future due to the bad economical climate there and the complex bureaucracy for permits. However, I somehow never thought of changing the flag in my profile, thanks for reminding me to do that ...


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

Thought of updating this tiny bit ... I meanwhile registered two booklets and about to register nr 3. I am now looking for open mike opportunities in different cities, universities or cultural centers where I could do speeching and poetry sessions, ... Even outside of Spain, but guess the step-by-step plan requires to search within nearby cities first. If anyone knows any such places in for example Tarragona, Girona, Manresa, Terrassa, ...  Or even further away, subject to being easily reachable or the organising hall willing to pay the train ticket or so.

Gracias


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## owdoggy (Jul 23, 2008)

Does this apply to songwriting? If so, that means I've done something intellectual............. well, ****** me!




Doggy


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

owdoggy said:


> Does this apply to songwriting? If so, that means I've done something intellectual............. well, ****** me!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Did you notice you just wrote ****** me and no stars have blocked it out!!

Pehaps it's annual swearing day on the forum today!!


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## owdoggy (Jul 23, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Did you notice you just wrote ****** me and no stars have blocked it out!!
> 
> Pehaps it's annual swearing day on the forum today!!


I ****ing, *****rd, ****ing hope ****ing so!. ****ing well ****ing cool!



Doggy


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## geez (Apr 4, 2010)

gerrit said:


> Thought of updating this tiny bit ... I meanwhile registered two booklets and about to register nr 3. I am now looking for open mike opportunities in different cities, universities or cultural centers where I could do speeching and poetry sessions, ... Even outside of Spain, but guess the step-by-step plan requires to search within nearby cities first. If anyone knows any such places in for example Tarragona, Girona, Manresa, Terrassa, ...  Or even further away, subject to being easily reachable or the organising hall willing to pay the train ticket or so.


I'm from a publishing background and can honestly say that such registration is unlikely to prevent someone reusing your content if they so desire. This was always thus but is par for the course in our online world. The basic old advice that one learns in copyright law 101 should work well in Spain as it seems to in other legal jurisdictions. If you feel that you have created something of potential commercial value, in addition to its artistic and personal value, you should print it out and send it to yourself via registered mail. When the package arrives, do not open it but file it away and forget about it until you need to defend a court action to protect your tale of a girl stamped with a dragon tattoo, a catchy song about a land downunder, etc. It basically means that you can prove an act of creation and ownership that pre-dates the 'borrowed' use by someone else.

Great to have the links to the registration authority and all the best with your artistic endeavours.


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

Thanks for the advice. You do get a certificate of registration upon registering your writings, so that proves the date of registration and can be useful in a court case proving you registered the work prior to the date the copycat claimed to be the author.

Anyway, I doubt many folks would want to copy my gloomy poetry but well, you never know 

I am mainly looking for performing options now. Here in BCN I've already read most of my stuff multiple times in different venues, but I notice the crowd appears to be very much the same each event, like a small circle of people who attend all events. I want to spread the word out there and read for different crowds. So trying to trace open mike events in other cities which are affordable and easy to get to, would be the next step. That, and launching a promotional website 


Owdoggy, yes songwriting is considered intellectual property  This can be anything from a song, a novel, an article, a poem, a speech (either recorded or typed out), ... Anything goes. So yes, you have intellectual property over the song you wrote and can call yourself an artist


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