Legal Definitions - Sound Recording Amendment of 1972

The Sound Recording Amendment of 1972 is a change made to the Copyright Act of 1909. This amendment created a new type of copyright protection for sound recordings.

Before this amendment, only the written composition of a song was protected by copyright law. This meant that anyone could record and sell a cover version of a song without permission from the original artist or songwriter. The Sound Recording Amendment changed this by giving copyright protection to the actual recording of a song.

For example, if a musician records a new version of a popular song, they can now claim copyright protection for their specific recording of that song. This means that other artists cannot use that exact recording without permission or payment to the original artist.

The Sound Recording Amendment of 1972 was an important step in protecting the rights of musicians and ensuring that they are fairly compensated for their work.