803.9 (F) (3) Unclear Authorship Terms for Derivative Sound Recordings
The terms “equalization,” “remastering,” “reverberation,” “reprocessing,” and “re- engineering” may refer to contributions that are mechanical in nature or too minimal to be copyrightable, or in some cases may involve sufficient creative authorship. If the applicant uses one or more of these terms on the application as the sole basis for the claim, the registration specialist will request a more detailed explanation or clarification.
To avoid correspondence and to facilitate examination, an applicant should provide a brief statement in the Note to Copyright Office field or the New Material Included/Other field that describes the authorship involved in recasting, transforming, or adapting the preexisting sound recording(s).