songwriters rights

[cayphe]

What is the name of your state? california

I was in a band for 6yrs. I had written all the song lyrics for 2 albums. the last recording effort i wrote 2 songs' lyrics. since i've left, my replacement has since re-recorded certain songs i've written from the past. And under an independent label is selling product with my song lyrics on them. What am i entitled to? what are my rights? And what if that which was originally recorded(lyrics)has been added to or altered with minor changes?

 

[ALawyer]

Assuming this was done in the past few years, you automatically had a copyright on creation of the work.

HOWEVER, until you file the work in the US Copyright Office, you can not sue for damages or to enjoin another's use of the work. Once filed, you can recover actual losses or the other's gains, even retroactively, before the filing was completed.

Merely making some minor changes does not make the work that of the guy who essentially stole it, as otherwise I could simply change a few words and then claim authorship of Mario Puzo's The Godfather, such as "I'll make BOTH OF you an offer you WON'T refuse."