Can you copyright a chord progressionCommon chord progressions are generally free to use, but a specific melody and lyrics are protected

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Short answer

A common chord progression is generally not protected by copyright, because chords and standard sequences are basic building blocks of music. Copyright can protect an original melody, lyrics, arrangement and recording. A claim usually turns on whether your song copies protected expression, not on sharing the same chords.

What copyright covers in a song

US law says copyright does not extend to an idea, procedure, system or method of operation (17 U.S.C. § 102(b)). In Skidmore v. Led Zeppelin (9th Cir. 2020, en banc), the court treated common musical building blocks, such as descending chromatic scales and arpeggios, as things no one can own. It said a selection and arrangement of such elements is protected only if the elements are numerous enough and their combination original enough, and it noted that such a “thin” copyright protects against only virtually identical copying.

A song usually has two layers: the composition (melody, lyrics, structure) and the sound recording. Each can have its own rights holder. Outside the US the details differ, but standard chord sequences are widely treated as free to use.

Keeping a record of your own song

Many songs share chords, so the useful evidence is your own material: demos, lyric drafts, stems, project files and bounce versions with dates. A TimeBind records a SHA-256 fingerprint of the exact file and a time, anchored to Bitcoin. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the file is not uploaded. See how to prove I created a song.

A TimeBind shows a file existed by a recorded time and has not changed since. It does not register copyright, is not legal advice and does not by itself prove who made the file. If you face a claim, speak to an entertainment lawyer, and ask about registering the composition and the recording with the right office or society.

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Frequently asked questions

Can you trademark a chord progression?

Generally no. Trade marks identify the source of goods or services. Chord sequences are not usually used that way.

Why do so many songs sound alike?

Popular music reuses a small set of chords and structures. Sounding similar is not the same as copying protected expression.

Can a melody be copyrighted?

An original melody can be, as part of the composition. Similarity claims depend on the facts and the country.

Does a dated file prove I wrote a song first?

It shows a file existed by that time and has not changed since. It does not by itself prove you wrote it.

Sources

Cornell LII, 17 U.S.C. § 102.
US Copyright Office, Circular 56: Copyright registration for sound recordings.
TimeBinder, How to prove I created a song.

Related guides and tools

Your file’s fingerprint, anchored to a global network secured by real electricity and cryptography.

Editing a file—including with AI—changes its fingerprint, not its existing network record.

How this works

Your file’s SHA-256 fingerprint, a short code worked out from its exact contents, is made in your browser, and the file itself stays on your device. A cryptographic commitment to that fingerprint, which may be combined with others, is then anchored in a block on the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin is secured by proof of work: computers around the world spend real electricity to add each block, and changing an earlier block would mean redoing that work faster than the rest of the network. Until that block is confirmed, your proof is pending. Once the Bitcoin anchoring is confirmed, you can verify the proof against that recorded commitment. The confirmed record can then be checked; Pooled TimeBinds are checked through TimeBinder, while ASAP TimeBinds can also be checked independently. If you check the file later and its fingerprint still matches, that shows the file existed no later than the recorded time. The record doesn’t show who made the file, whether AI was used, or that its contents are true.

Your filestays on your device
FingerprintSHA-256
Network timestampon Bitcoin

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