Howard,
Whilst the law for written literary efforts or published musical
compositions allows for copyright protection for 70 years after the author's
death, UK copyright law as pertains to sound recordings states that the
recording falls out of copyright 50 years after it has been made - hence why
the aged rocker Sir Cliff Richard wants to get the law over here changed,
because his early recordings are about to become copyright-free. This is
also why we in this country (and in many others) can easily get our hands on
historical re-issue discs from labels such as Naxos and Regis very cheaply
indeed, when they are not availble in the USA due to a longer expiration
date.
Here's what that great legal resource Wikipedia says (if only it existed
when I was doing my law degree!):
Copyright in a sound recording expires either (a) 50 years after the
recording is made, or (b) if the recording is published during that period
then 50 years from the publication, or (c) if during the initial 50 years
the recording is played in public or communicated to the public then 50
years from that communication or playing to the public, provided the author
of the broadcast is an EEA citizen. Otherwise the duration under the laws of
the country of which the author is a national applies, unless such a
duration would be longer than offered in UK law, or would be contrary to
treaty obligations of the UK in force on 29 October 1993.
For those of us living in copyright-free zones, I will be posting some more
Gerwig transfers once my upload has finished in 20mins or so.
Best wishes,
Peter
----- Original Message -----
From: "howard posner" <[email protected]>
To: "Lute Net" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 5:55 PM
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Download Gerwig Recordings
On Mar 15, 2009, at 9:28 AM, Peter Jones wrote:
They are out of copyright (at least, they are here in the UK - I
think the situation is different in the USA
Really? Doesn't copyright last 70 years after the death of the
artist in the UK? Gerwig died in 1966.
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