How do i copyright my lyrics?

Copyright is a legal right granted to an author of a work that makes him the only person allowed to copy and distribute that original work. If you're the author of song lyrics, in order to copyright your lyrics you need to officially register them with the U.S. Copyright Office, which will keep them safe from would-be thieves.

Get it in Writing

Write your lyrics down. According to the U.S. Copyright Office: "A work is 'created' when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time." The minute you jot down your lyrics you own 100 percent of the copyright and 100 percent publishing rights. As the sole owner of these rights, only you can register and assign copyright and publish your songs.

To the best of your knowledge, guarantee that your lyrics are original and not derivative works. Don't attempt to copyright a lyric that you know or even consider might be too similar to someone else's work. Big Seven Music Corp., owned by music magnate Morris Levy, sued John Lennon in the early 1970's for stealing lyrics similar to Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me," of which they were the publisher. Lennon's lyric wasn't an exact copy, but contained most of the same lyrics and he lost the case. Conduct an online search of your lyrics. Lyrics like "I love you" are so common as to not be a problem, but lyrics like "P.S. I Love You," from The Beatles song of the same name, would.

Registering Your Copyright

Contact the U.S. Copyright Office. You will need either the PA or the TX form. The PA form is for "Performing Arts" and, if you are filling this out, you would send in a copy of your lyrics as well as a sound recording. If you're only copyrighting lyrics, fill out the TX or "Text" form. Call the U.S. Copyright Office and have them send you the forms, or download the forms off the website and mail them in, or simply register your work on-line. You will have to pay a registration fee of $65 ($35 if submitted online) for every form you submit. This can get expensive if you register each of your songs one by one, so it's best to wait until you have a collection of lyrics and register them all at once; it's the same price if it's one song or a group of them.

Waiting It Out

Wait for the Copyright Office to register your work. They will send back your registered form in the mail.

In the meantime, don't attempt to distribute or share your lyrics in any way. As far as crooked music publishers and songwriters go, your lyrics are up for grabs if they're not officially copyrighted. Keep your lyrics in a safe place. If you can't wait to get your lyrics out to the public, register your copyright as soon as possible. You'll have to pay a fee every time you register, but you can rest easy knowing your lyrics are untouchable.

Source:

U.S. Copyright Office: Copyright Law: Chapter 1

Open Jurist: Big Seven Music Corp Viii v. Lennon

More Information:

ASCAP: How do I copyright my songs? Is it necessary?