-- copyright issues, Haydn Seven Words? --
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georgedentel
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 01 Feb 2010 03:59
-- copyright issues, Haydn Seven Words? --
I have made an English version of the Seven Words that I would like to post and share, but do not know if I have violated copyright. Hard to know since the whole thing is drawn from at least 3 different sources, I have changed some instrumentation and my text is not a translation but original work.
Re: -- copyright issues, Haydn Seven Words? --
This depends on whether the sources you have used are still copyrighted or not. When all of your sources are facsimile/Xerox copies of sufficiently old editions, there is no problem. When these are modern editions, the situation is unclear because the "All rights reserved" stamp of the publisher might be justified or copyfraud, and it is difficult to figure this out.
When you have obtaind the Xerox copies of the original edition through a library, you presumably have signed a paper that you are only permitted to use the copy for "private use". I have asked different librarians, and all told me that this only applies to the images, not to the content. In other words, you are free to transcribe the music and distribute it.
I would suggest to use a historic edition as primary source and if another edition differs significantly at some point, I would comment this in a footnote. In any case, it would be great if you comment on your editorial principles in a foreword (alas, most editions on CPDL do not even mention the sources used...).
Chris
When you have obtaind the Xerox copies of the original edition through a library, you presumably have signed a paper that you are only permitted to use the copy for "private use". I have asked different librarians, and all told me that this only applies to the images, not to the content. In other words, you are free to transcribe the music and distribute it.
I would suggest to use a historic edition as primary source and if another edition differs significantly at some point, I would comment this in a footnote. In any case, it would be great if you comment on your editorial principles in a foreword (alas, most editions on CPDL do not even mention the sources used...).
Chris