Actually PA is performing arts and the PA registration only covers the sheet music and lyrics and NOT the performance. Rather than giving the stuff on paper you can also give an audio copy -such as the cassette example - however you aren't required to do so.
SR is sound recording which not only covers the sheet music and lyrics but also the performance. For anything to be considered a sound recording you MUST provide audio records.
a little from the rules
File Form PA if you are seeking to register the musical or dramatic work,
not the “sound recording,” even though what you deposit for copyright purposes may be in the form of a phonorecord.
File Form SR if you are
seeking to register the “sound recording” itself, that is,
the work that results from the fixation of a series of musical, spoken, or other sounds, but not the underlying musical or dramatic work. (Ivy's note : That underlined section means performance of the work)
File Form SR if you are the copyright claimant for both the underlying musical or dramatic work and the sound recording, and you prefer to register both on the same form.
File both forms PA and SR if the copyright claimant for the underlying work and sound recording differ, or you prefer to have separate registration for them.
Musical compositions may be embodied (fixed) in “copies,” objects from which a work can be read or visually perceived, directly or with the aid of a machine or device, such as manuscripts, books, sheet music, film, and videotape. They may also be fixed in “phonorecords,” objects embodying fixations of sounds, such as tapes and phonograph disks, commonly known as phonograph records.
For example, a song (the work to be registered) can be reproduced in sheet music (“copies” or phonograph records (“phonorecords”, or both. (Ivy's note: the underlined section clearly shows that for "music" classification it can be sheet music or an audio file or both)
PA form says - Unpublished Work: Deposit one complete copy (
or phonorecord)
SR form says - Unpublished Work: Deposit
one complete phonorecord
So what do we know
-For MJ song book - june 2009 SR Sound recording registration - an audio file of the performance of the songs was provided.
-Mj song book 2009 SR sound recording registration protects the vocals / performance.
-For Ason compilations - 2010 registrations - an audio file might or might not be provided.
-The Ason compilation registrations did not protect any vocals.
So it's impossible for the 2010 registration to cover any new vocals or any new performance
- There's no way to know what was included in "MJ song book" and what was included in "Ason compilations". They could be the same thing, they could be two totally different things.
So the type of 2010 registration (PA) and given the fact that it doesn't cover the sound recording/ performance/ vocals debunks your theory that they recorded the songs in 2010 and did a separate registration for the vocals to establish copyright on them.