Noel Stoutenburg wrote:
dhbailey wrote, in part:
... in the U.S. at least, there is no distinction in length of
copyright terms for modern editions of P.D. works. Everything which
is copyrighted receives the same copyright terms, original work or
edition. The only differentiation in U.S. copyright law is between a
copyright owned by a corporation (95 years) and that owned by a human
(life plus 70 years).
but I would note that this in not the understanding I have from reading
title 17 of the U.S. code, and related passages in the Code of Federal
regulations. There are in fact different lengths of copyright. First, on
works copyright before a revision of the law in the early 1960s which
provided for automatic copyright renewal, copyright in items copyright
for the first term up through the late 1930's on which the copyright was
not renewed have passed into the public domain. Copyright on items
copyright after 1923, and before the mid 1970's, when the copyright term
was changed from "publication + term" to "death of the author plus 50
(later amended to plus 70 years), on which the copyright were renewed,
was set for a total of 75 years (28 year initial term, plus 47 year
extension), amended by the Sonny Bono Copyright term extension act by
adding 20 years, for a total of 95 years. If I remember correctly, it
was the copyright revision in the mid 1970's, which besides changing the
basis for copyright, created the "work for hire" catagory, which
currently has a copyright duration of 125 years from creation in the U.S.
Thus, for works still under copyright, there are presently three
possible terms of copyright in the U.S.: 95 years from date of
publication; 70 years after the death of the last surviving author; and
125 years after the date of publication on a "work for hire".
Where do you see that 125 years for a work for hire in the copyright law?
I admit that there are currently differing lengths of copyright coverage
as the transition from the older 28-plus-28-if-renewed works to the
current life-plus-70 for new works.
But there aren't different lengths for original material vs. edited
material, which was what I thought you were trying to say in the message
to which I posted the response you quote above.
--
David H. Bailey
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________
Finale mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
