General Chat

There is no requirement at all that to get copyright protection there has to be publishing to the general public and never has been. A draft of a book sent to a prospective publisher is covered by the author's copyright, a demo piece f music on 45 / CD / USB stick / download only available to music publishers likewise is covered by copyright.

Song royalties can be useful money. The hit "Stand By Me" has generated over $ 20 million in royalties paid to the 3 composers (inc Ben E King). Stoller collected 25% simply for coming up with the unforgetable base line to the song.

There is no easy money to be made from out-of-copyright music performances and movies which are in any case very thin on the ground.

BTW the US copyright period is 95 years so even Glen Miller is covered.

The length of term of copyright in a sound recording depends on whether or not it has been published (released) or has been communicated to the public (for example, played on the radio).


if a recording is not published or communicated to the public, copyright lasts for 50 years from when the recording was made.


.the above is also from the same link.---------gov.

I believe Paul McCartney sued EMI for royalties as he was probably the only person in a position to do so.

It seems they are or were notorious for not paying up, safe in the knowledge that most composers could not afford to sue.

When I was collecting data for the PRS, I met a man who had written the score for the film of 'On The Buses' and had never received a penny for it.

No, you are wrong.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/copyright-in-sound-recordings/copyright-in-sound-recordings

"if a recording is published within 50 years of when it was made, copyright lasts for 70 years from the year it was first published"

" 4. EU Directive 2011/77/EU

In September 2011 the EU approved a directive which extended the period of protection from 50 to 70 years for copyright and performers` rights in most published sound recordings. This change came into effect in the UK on 1 November 2013.

The extension of the term of protection applies only to those sound recordings that were in copyright on 1 November 2013 and to any sound recordings made after that date. The extended period of protection does not apply to those sound recordings where copyright has already expired."

The fact that a copyright work of any kind is free of copyright in one jurisdiction does not mean that it is copyright free everywhere.

Also if an out of copyright work is significantly changed in some way then a new copyright applies to the edited work. One example would be re-processing movies, cleaning up the image and republishing on Blu Ray. Another would be doing much the same for US Jazz music 1920-1950. If you had access to the original source then of course you could (a) sell 78s and so on if you have the means (b) reprocess the sound into a modern format - expensive. You could not use OP cleaned up versions without being hit by copyright.

Even when it comes to the extremely complex copyright law for scores just because a piece of music is old does not neccessarily render it copyright free. Take classical music. Few musicians could play directly from a score by, say Beethoven or Liszt. Instead they use a readable printed score derived from the original. These tend to be revised over time especially for the arrangements not to forget the conductor's score and are copyright from when they were made not the original music.

A rough and ready test is to ask "was know how and skill required to make the derived piece of work". If the answer is yes than most likely copyright applies.

Free lunches in the music world are unknown.

European copyright protection is expiring on a collector's trove of 1950's jazz, opera and early rock 'n' roll albums, forcing major American record companies to consider deals with bootleg labels and demand new customs barriers.

Already reeling from a stagnant economy and the illegal but widespread downloading of copyrighted music from the Internet, the recording companies will now face a perfectly legal influx of European recordings of popular works.

*****Copyright protection lasts only 50 years in European Union countries*****, compared with 95 years in the United States, even if the recordings were originally made and released in America. So recordings made in the early- to mid-1950's - by figures like Maria Callas, Elvis Presley and Ella Fitzgerald - are entering the public domain in Europe, opening the way for any European recording company to release albums that had been owned exclusively by particular labels.

Only 50 years in the EU.

For those alive Rollo, and those who wrote the music/words but I read somewhere it's different after the death of the singer.

Cliff was also a leading light of it as some of his co early singers are now pensioners and some short of money.

Copyright to musical recordings in the UK and EU continues until 70 (seventy ) years after the death of the performer.

Rights to the actual composition are complex but can remain in force even longer.

One of the leading lights in getting copyright laws extended was Paul McCartney.

Alma died in 1966 so her music will be out of copyright to use it in commercials

Don't get jealous here Sharron, but I bought a Childrens Favourite CD in the pound shop a few months ago. All the original artists.

The Laughing Policeman
Hello Mother, Hello Father
The Ugly Duckling
Flying Officer Hancock

And loads more, 100 pennies well spent.

Rusty Draper 1956
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgvQiBjVS-s

It has been covered by lots of people.

You might like this station, you can play it on the internet

http://angelradio.co.uk/listen-live/4579960920

Thank you Pat just played it x Michael Holiday he was a lovely singer a bit like Matt Munro.oh aw some great singers & songs from way back Thank you for all comments x

Not forgetting Sparky and the Three Billy Goats Gruff who would 'hop and hop and hop and hop, you'd think they'd never stop'!

Ive just googled Vaughan Monroe, is it The Middle Of The House?

Crikey that is a blast from the past. And yes, Uncle Mac, Sharron, every Saturday morning.

That, and Michael Holliday singing The Runaway Train.

Sorry don't know the advert more iinterested trying to listen to the song .will Google it really catchy Thank you x

Alma recorded it in 1956.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1pAQgB5oZc

I have looked it up and the answer came back as Vaughan Monroe and Rusty Draper but I don't think they could sing as high as whoever sang it on Childrens Favourites with Uncle Mac.

What is the advert for Barbra?

Must be in the 1950s still in my pram ;-) was she the lady with really big dresses ?

Could it be Alma Cogan?