Re: [Harp-L] my recording rights?

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>  Since we verbally agreed ( no handshake ) on compensation, am I within 
> my rights to ask to be given credit on the CD for my part on the song?

You're totally within your rights to ask.  (You're in your rights to ask 
for anything, but realistic things are more likely to actually be granted.)

You should ask for credit, as you deserve it, and you'll know whether this 
person is a good person or a jerk by their response.  It costs them nothing 
to credit you, unless they have already sent the CD to press.

In LA a work credit is golden, and many people in the entertainment 
business would rather pay you than give you credit, unless it costs them 
less money to give you credit.  I wrote some video game scripts back in '94 
and got paid sensationally well for the work.  There was no Writers Guild 
contract on stuff like that back then and I didn't think it was worth 
demanding credit in my contract.  When the games came out the owner of the 
company was listed as the writer of the scripts.

That credit would have gotten me more work.  Then I would have been damned 
to working in the video game industry, which I do not like, so everything 
turned out alright.  But I'd really be miserable if someone stole a 
harmonica credit from me.

>  Is this something in the future that should always be in writing?

Always.