[78-L] copyright

[Kristjan Saag]

Christopher Steward wrote:


> Hallo!
> I would be grateful for advice about copyright. I want to reissue some 78s 
> on a CD in
> Britain. If I include recordings originally made in the USA, are they 
> subject to USA or
> British copyright law?
> Thanks for any help,
--
The CD is becoming obsolete - no matter the number of record stores in 
Southern California.
So why not try digital online distribution instead?
With no physical distribution/ distributor involved you should be able to 
sell any quantity of files without trouble, as far as you don't sell from 
the US.
What we're seeing, at the moment, is an immense increase of back catalogue 
material resurfacing as files, recordings that haven't been available for 
years. New vintage material is also added, because it's cheap to do it. 
Releasing an album is not a huge project anymore and you can even chose 
alternative formats: digital EP's and singles for minor projects.
Ways of distribution and retail business have changed dramatically in very 
short time: many artists, in all categories of music, arrange for download 
possibilities from their websites. They don't even bother to offer 
remainders of their CDs. Takes too much time, costs too much.
And take a look at Youtube where thousands of 78s are presented together 
with moving images of turntables spinning the records, giving the old 
recordings new audiences (and creating an interest in the phonograph 
technique itself). Or where they are accompanied with tastefully arranged 
photos of the artists or the subject matter of the song etc. Youtube is what 
the record companies should've done years ago: present music in a new and 
attractive package. Those record companies who'll learn from this will 
survive.
So, as an alternative to expensive booklets, jewel boxes, physical CDs and a 
distributor who'll be bust in a year or two anyway: start a virtual record 
label, do a nice online presentation of your material and present quality 
restored music. If you want to present an ambitious booklet: create a 
digital one and print it on demand, or attach it as a pdf file to the sound 
files. And you can keep your product in stock as long as there is 
electricity. Whereas Amazon UK would drop your product after a year or two 
if it doesn't sell.
Kristjan