"The Dead Composers Society"  -- The sons, daughters and publishers
of dead composers are fighting for the following provision:

 [ This is an extract, taken from a proposed amendment to the
 [ copyright laws of the United States.  Approved in the House of
 [ Representatives, it is now awaiting discussion in the Senate.


H.R.2589 -- To amend the provisions of title 17, United States Code,
with respect to the duration of copyright, and for other purposes.
(House Bill referred to a Senate Committee)

Sec. 102. Duration Of Copyright Provisions.

(d) Duration Of Copyright: Subsisting Copyrights-

(1) In General- Section 304 of title 17, United States Code, is amended --

(B) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

(b) Copyrights in their renewal term at the time of the effective date
of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act-

Any copyright still in its renewal term at the time that the Sonny Bono
Copyright Term Extension Act becomes effective shall have a copyright
term of 95 years from the date copyright was originally secured.  ';

 [ end of extract, resume commentary by George ! ]


You can read the full text at this (really ugly) address:

  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c105:4:./temp/~c105lInO8S:e810:

This provision is supported by:

   Almost-bankrupt publishers -- Publishers, such as Boosey & Hawkes,
who invested millions of dollars into a catalog that now gathers dust
in remainder bins.  Without this extension, more and more of their cash
cows will disappear.

   Relatives - that whole bowl of non-composing, non-musical hangers-on
living off the fast-disappearing royalties from grandparents.

   Current publishers -- those who grit their teeth at the thought of
all those great Gershwin and Donaldson tunes that are coming available
year after year -- with nothing in the pipeline to replace them.


Those of you thinking of reproducing material that may soon enter the
public domain may wish to write your Senator (it passed the House).

The stuff that has entered public domain [ due to expired copyright ]
is still safe.    Additionally, the stuff that enters public domain
will be safe.   It's only if the Bono Bill passes into law that you'll
have to watch out.

George Bogatko

 [ The European countries are grappling with exactly the same problem,
 [ and they have pressured the US for this amendment.  Can someone
 [ report on what's happening in Europe?  -- Robbie