Re: Copyrights (was Re: No time/no bars)

[stk]

Copyright question:

I can find folk (or traditional) songs (or dances) from
many countries in Eastern & Western Europe
   a) in printed publications (from Kammen, Mel Bay, & others);
   b) in midi files available on the Internet.

In many cases, actually verifying the composition date is not easy.

I extract only the melody (often, multiple versions with different
melodies exist).  The specified chords are often wrong (IMHO), so I change
them.  I write a new 2nd line (harmony or counterpoint).

Can you point me to any source of information on copyright that might help
in clarifying the copyright status of a melody I have lifted from some
(supposed) folk/traditional song or dance?

And for 3rds-or-6ths harmonies, which are (to a certain extent) obvious,
are published harmonies to folk songs effectively copyrighted?  (I don't
expect an answer to that question, but maybe you know somewhere I could
find information on that issue.)

The situation with Renaissance/Baroque/Classical/Romantic music is bad
enough, but it is possible that the issues with (nominal) folk music are
even messier.

Thank you for your advice.

-- Tom

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Kevin Dalley wrote:

You probably know about Mutopia's page on copyright.  Their rule of
thumb is:

      1. The composer, lyricist, arranger and editor all must have
      been dead for more than seventy years.

      2. The work must have been published prior to 1923.

http://www.mutopiaproject.org/contribute.html

Individual countries have different limits.  I would wonder whether
your score has enough contact by recent people to still be under
copyright.

If you contact Mutopia or Gutenberg, they can advise you further.

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_Sheet_Music_Project