Publisher Membership

Please note that it is not necessary to join COTT as a publisher unless your company is actively administering your own or someone else's works. COTT pays to the composer/author of a song the publisher's share for an unpublished work.

Download, print, complete and sign Application Form 56 k

You will need Acrobat Reader®

To be eligible for COTT membership you must establish that you have been assigned:

EITHER

• a minimum of five copyrighted musical works

OR

• the copyright in at least three songs that have been commercially recorded.

If you publish works written by a composer/author other than yourself, please provide copies of contracts establishing the assignment of copyright of those works or the assignment of the right to receive any performance and/or mechanical royalties that may be attributed to a publisher's share of those works.

To lessen the chance of name duplication, we recommend that you consult COTT regarding your company name choices prior to registering with the Companies Registry and becoming a COTT member. Please complete the enclosed Clearance Form indicating your company name choices in order of preference.

When returning your COTT application, please be sure to include the following documents:

1. a completed and signed application form;
2. company's name clearance form;
3. proof of copyright ownership (contracts) with respect to each musical work claimed by you in support of your application;
4. completed Notification of Work Forms according to the above eligibility criteria;
5. a copy of any commercial recordings;
6. if incorporated a copy of the Articles of Incorporation and Certificate of Incorporation;
7. if partnership a copy of your :
   1. ID Cards, Birth Certificates or passports; and
   2. Certificate of Registration;
8. if sole proprietorship a copy of your:
   1. ID Cards, Birth Certificates or passports; and
   2. Certificate of Registration.
9. payment of application fee.

Upon approval of your application, COTT will issue a membership contract to be signed and returned.

Please note that incomplete applications will not be processed.

Please note also that COTT is not able to pay out royalties for every individual performance or broadcast of each composition published by you.

In areas where it is not cost effective to collect and process full details of music usage, COTT uses samples of information or information from other sources to represent the compositions played. In addition COTT is not under any obligation to make distributions of royalties to you in respect of any public performance, broadcast or cable transmission of compositions published by you which take place prior to the date from which your admission to membership is deemed to be effective. This is normally the 1st January or 1st July immediately preceding the date when admission is formally granted.

Please see HELP/FAQ's or contact a Member Service representative at your local COTT office. We will be happy to answer your questions and provide you with a copy of A Guide to COTT which will explain our function in more detail.