[78-L] Question about re-releasing commercial European 78 rpm recordings

[Joel Bresler]

(Posted to the IASA, ARSC and 78s mailing lists)

 

Dear colleagues:

 

I am negotiating with a European archive for the rights to re-release a few
dozen European ethnic music recordings held in their collection that were
originally commercially released over 90 years ago. There are literally no
other copies of most of these recordings anywhere in the world so we have no
alternative source. They are proposing to let us make a small run of CDs and
to stream the recordings for just a year, at which point our rights would
lapse. 

 

I would like to tap the wisdom of this list for answers to a couple of
questions. 

 

These recordings are all Public Domain. Isn't there the very real
possibility that my group would pay for the transfers and restoration, as
well as a payment to this archive, but others could then just rip a CD and
mount the files online with impunity? 

 

If we process the raw digital files to clean up noise, hiss, crackles, etc.
can our restoration be copywritten? Does that offer a measure of protection?


 

Your comments or suggestions would be very welcome.  

 

Best,

 

Joel

 

 

Joel Bresler

250 E. Emerson Road

Lexington, MA 02420

United States

 

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