Copyright: Tips - Kosher Copyrighting- Keep a Form Handy

Ya gotta ask (and answer) yourself:
IS IT MINE, MINE ALL MINE????

Before you borrow (cut/paste/sample/morph/imitate/reproduce, etc)
from *anyone* (dead, alive, or undetermined) else's work, make sure that the core of what you're creating is really your own.
Refresh your recollection: see http://www.copyright.gov
and try http://www.creativecommons.org

If you can trace the origin of the core to YOUR creative juice, and have asked permission or followed the guidelines of "kosher-copyrighting", then odds are you'll be okay. If you have a co-owner (co- creator or assignee of some or all rights) , we'll talk about that in another tip....

Niggling doubts....grey areas....you borrowed the mp3 riff of your buddy's dog howling but hey but the dog is dead and you know the dude /tte would be cool but you haven't asked.... either alter your project or seek written permission for borrowing.

TIP: Have your own permission letter handy to email and get permission...Make it easy for them to say YES!
Sample letters- stay tuned for the workshop section of this blog...

SUCCESS ATTRACTS DISPUTES. Most artists work their whole careers without ever landing in a dispute. However, the more visibly successful, the more the odds of an accusation increase. So PLAN FOR WILD SUCCESS.... and take the basic steps to protect yourself, then spend most of your time focusing on developing and selling your ideas.