Re: [ARSCLIST] ASCAP follows RIAA down the road guaranteed not to make friends

["Steven C. Barr(x)" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven Smith, King of the House, Inc." <kingofthehouse@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> The last question about PD music got me thinking. I found this website. It
> has lots of public domain songs listed  from a link and the info is good.
> http://www.pdinfo.com/
> However, early on, it states that even though the song is in the public
> domain, a recording of it will not be. So, that makes it more complicated.
> To use the song, according to this, you would have to record your own
> version -- not too practical. It is the song in the PD, not the artist doing
> it. I do not know where the fellow I worked for got the recordings for the
> theater, but it was really unfamiliar and foreign.
> 
What this effectively means is as follows:

IF your business uses live music (which brings up different problems
with the AFM, but I won't go there...!), and IF none of the music
played falls outside the "public domain" (this applies to the TUNES
and not sound recordings thereof!)...then you don't owe money to do so!

In the US of A, you CANNOT reissue ANY sound recording ever "fixed"
(Okeh, Ecru, calm down...I wasn't talking about YOU!) until January 1,
2067...unless either you have the express permission of the copyright
owner therefor (aka "gimme some money!") or the owner of the copyright
is unknown, non-existent or otherwise unavailable (see under "Grey Gull!").
Note that Edison recordings, being technically owned by the U.S. National
Park Service (I'll let somebody ELSE do the 'splainin' here...!) are
effectively in the public domain. And...should I elect to reissue my
lone "Okie" 78 (which may well be the last thereof...?!) I doubt if
I'll be sued...?!

Steven C. Barr