02-11-2007, 10:19 PM
Sam,
I'm afraid it isn't that easy. First of all, a composer has to be dead for more than 70 years (European law; in the US it could be 50 years) and then his works might become public domain.
In other cases the works (original recordings) have to be made 50 years or more ago.... so any recordings from 1957 onward do not apply at all.
Also, often copyrights are renewed, and go over to the estate of a deceased composer etc. .... so it's definitely not as straightforward as you might imagine (I'm sorry to say).
I'm afraid it isn't that easy. First of all, a composer has to be dead for more than 70 years (European law; in the US it could be 50 years) and then his works might become public domain.
In other cases the works (original recordings) have to be made 50 years or more ago.... so any recordings from 1957 onward do not apply at all.
Also, often copyrights are renewed, and go over to the estate of a deceased composer etc. .... so it's definitely not as straightforward as you might imagine (I'm sorry to say).