Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > March 1998 > 1998.03.24 > 04Prev  Next


U.S. Copyright Law for Sound Recordings
By Robert Perry

Hi Tim and MMD.  Tim, you wrote:

> I close by stating that no criticism is intended or implied towards
> either Mr. Perry or Mr. Caulfield; the former asked in good faith.

I certainly don't take offence and found your post really enlightening.
Unfortunately, I didn't make my reasons for asking the question
particularly clear in the first place, so there's been some
misunderstanding.

In investigating the remains of the Reliance Music Roll Co. of
Auckland, New Zealand, we found, among their collection of other
company's rolls, some that had been edited, many extra notes added.
Although it isn't clear whether they released the edited rolls on one
of their labels, I thought I'd ask as to the legality of this.  I
certainly don't intend to go chopping up any of my old rolls!

The question about the recording piano was because the people who were
sorting out the Reliance estate said that the player piano there looked
like a normal player piano.  It was later destroyed by fire, and I was
wondering if it could in fact have been a recording piano, as the
majority of the Reliance rolls sound very hand played.

Tim, I'm still very interested about the legality question.  What if
someone, say Pete Wendling, heard an Edith Murn roll on the Mastertouch
label, and liked the performance so much he learnt it note by note and
mimicked the style, recording for QRS?  Would that have been legal, as
it *was* actually his fingers on the recording piano!

Regards,
Robert Perry


(Message sent Tue 24 Mar 1998, 08:31:36 GMT, from time zone GMT+1200.)

Key Words in Subject:  Copyright, Law, Recordings, Sound, U.S

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page