On 96.11.23 Andy Latorre asked how to determine whether a song might be
copyrighted. There is an agency whose sole purpose is to compile all
the songs copyrighted in the U.S. To learn more, contact:

   The Harry Fox Ageny
   205 E. 42nd St.
   New York, NY 10017
   
   212-370-5330

One note of caution, I contacted them several years ago regarding a
cassette recording I made of one of my street organs. They pursued the
matter to the absurd degree that they demanded that I pay for the
royalty on every song I intended to record, even though I had no
intention of recording most of them. But the real irony was that, when
they finally understood that the recording I was planning was from
punched cardboard music, they had no category for such a composition in
their computer categories. Even more ironic, when they realized how few
recordings I was planning: 250, they finally figured out that it would
cost them more for the paperwork than they would realize in royalties.

One onther aside, the letter of the copyright law requires that each
and every performance of a copyrighted song be paid for through the Fox
Agency.  One can either pay them by the songs for each performance, or
with a blanket payment per month or per year. Anyone, anywhere, who
performs copyrighted music is obligated to pay these royalties. Think
about that for a moment!

Hope this helps.

Angelo Rulli¶
The Mechanical Maestro (organ grinder)¶
St. Paul, Minnesota