At 2:51 PM +0200 9/1/05, Johannes Gebauer wrote:
Just out of curiosity, I am currently wondering whether a printed edition from 1978 in the US is still under copyright (for the printed edtion, not for the piece itself, which is from the 19th century)?
If it carries a copyright notice, it is. From January 1,1978, copyright came automatically, like the dove descending, the moment a work existed "in fixed form." And as of the same date, the length of protection changed from a fixed period from publication to "life plus 50 years" which has since been extended to almost obscene lengths. The copyright notice is not, strictly speaking still a legal requirement, so the failure to afix it does not mean that there is no copyright, but if it is there, copyright protection is in effect.
However, even if the 1978 edition has its own new copyright, you are correct in assuming that the 19th century original remains in the public domain, and any number of new editions or arrangements may be made of it.
John -- John & Susie Howell Virginia Tech Department of Music Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A 24061-0240 Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
