Postings links to random web-posted editions?

For MUSIC REQUESTS and QUESTIONS about availability, including Copyright issues
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peftypefty
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Joined: 27 Dec 2007 17:35
Location: Chicago

Postings links to random web-posted editions?

Post by peftypefty »

Hey, I came across a webpage of pdfs of vocal music that I'd like to post links to on cpdl. However, I am not the one who posted the pdfs and I do not know that they have been posted with copyright laws in mind. Is it problematic to cpdl if I create links on cpdl to these externally hosted&posted pdf editions, if it turns out that any of them have copyright issues?

The page is at http://groups.google.com/group/vangi3?pli=1

Thanks.
CHGiffen
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Re: Postings links to random web-posted editions?

Post by CHGiffen »

I don't know the answer to your question, but I note that on the score to the Jacobus Gallus "Ecce concipies" from that site has a copyright 1966 by Haenssler-Verlag.

Chuck
Charles H. Giffen
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Admin at & Manager of ChoralWiki
vaarky
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Joined: 22 Aug 2008 07:28

Re: Postings links to random web-posted editions?

Post by vaarky »

Thanks for asking (and for spotting that copyright indication, Chuck). We should avoid creating score pages that link to scores that may be violating copyright or are unknown, since that would expose CPDL to liability under contributory infringement. These are not good candidates unless reliable data indicating that they're copyright-clear can be obtained about them.
pml
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Re: Postings links to random web-posted editions?

Post by pml »

Straight off the bat, the 1966 issue of the Jacob Handl (Gallus) piece is automatically protected in the United States until 31 Dec 2061. Only in other jurisdictions (where urtext provisions might apply to ‘scientific’ editions) would there be a shorter copyright term applicable: say in the EU, where the maximum term for this sort of work might be thirty years, provided there is no original editorial contribution, such as a keyboard accompaniment, or recomposition of missing parts. Last time I looked the CPDL was hosted in the US, and generally anything first published after 1963 is completely unacceptable without a dispensation from the copyright owner - and for items published in 1963 or before, there is the difficult morass of copyright renewals that comes into play. From my experience I'd advise that IMSLP is better equipped technically, generally speaking, to handle copyright determinations of scans of already published material; they do it all the time, for multiple copyright domains, rather than as an exception.

Regards, Philip
choirnerd
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Joined: 21 Jun 2009 19:51

Re: Postings links to random web-posted editions?

Post by choirnerd »

peftypefty wrote:Hey, I came across a webpage of pdfs of vocal music that I'd like to post links to on cpdl. However, I am not the one who posted the pdfs and I do not know that they have been posted with copyright laws in mind. Is it problematic to cpdl if I create links on cpdl to these externally hosted&posted pdf editions, if it turns out that any of them have copyright issues?

The page is at http://groups.google.com/group/vangi3?pli=1

Thanks.
I would imagine that cpdl would be liable to remove any copyright infringing links. That being said, I would imagine you may lose cpdl privileges if you were to be the poster of said links. ;)

Please add me to your wordpress blogroll http://choirnerd.wordpress.com
vaarky
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Re: Postings links to random web-posted editions?

Post by vaarky »

I think a good approach in a situation such as this is for someone (doesn't have to be a CPDL admin) to reach out to that site's owner if they're willing, and to invite them to post directly any scores that are copyright-clear, offering that there is assistance available if they need help with the process.
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