> From: [log in to unmask] > However, it leaves everything > <75 years old still protected, whether or not Arhoolie or someone else has it in > their catalog and thus needs protection, and thus inaccessible to anyone who > doesn't happen to have a copy of the original issue! Good point. Ok, so anything that is dormant and unissued for ?? years falls under a statutory licensing rate with the royalties paid to the copyright holder until their 75 years is up. I don't think this will be a real problem, since I truly believe that all companies will eventually have all of their material available on line. Those who want the traditional hard copy CD with the beautiful graphics, historical photos and detailed discographical notes by Dick Spotswood, will have to buy the box set found only in dusty specialty stores with wild eyed record fanatics behind the counter! There is a thinking by most of us, that includes me, that if an artist issues some music, that it should be available for ever. What if I recorded, in, my youth, on my own self produced label, a misguided, sexist, racist, politically ugly, recording and I later became aware of my stupidity and never wanted this hateful item to ever be reissued. Then some sexist, racist, politically ugly organization decides to reissue it as their theme song with my name plastered all over it, and because of P.D. or statutory licensing (that we are talking about) they are allowed to and I have no right to stop them. Does an artist or company have any right to hold back something that they at one time made available to the public? I usually believe that once you let something go out into the public, too bad. If fact I have used this concept when recording bands to get their best performance..."Better do it right because once we issue it, it's out there forever with your name on it!" But sometimes I wonder. > > NOTE: This refers ONLY to the actual copyright on the sound recording, and > not > to publisher or composer rights/royalties since they latter are covered by > compulsory license. > Yeah, why doesn't anyone complain about the length of song publishing copyrights. Why aren't performance and publishing copyrights the same length. Tom Diamant Arhoolie Records 10341 San Pablo Ave. El Cerrito, CA 94530 USA 510-525-7471 fax: 510-525-1204 email: [log in to unmask] http://www.arhoolie.com