Search found 14 matches

by aslsp-fl
Fri Nov 02, 2007 7:21 am
Forum: Archive
Topic: UE update Thursday 25th October
Replies: 60
Views: 146557

Please note that an European Union directive is not a law, it is a compulsory guideline to single countries lawmakers; it is enforced by local laws in single countries, so its application is never immediate as each single parliament must issue an application law, and sometimes national laws get to d...
by aslsp-fl
Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:47 pm
Forum: Archive
Topic: UE update Thursday 25th October
Replies: 60
Views: 146557

According to directive 93/98/EC, EU states can accord a protection to critical editions, but the protection cannot be longer than 30 years. So, it is quite unlikely that a 1967 edition of a public domain work is still copyrighted in Austria (unless it so extensive an arrangement to become a differen...
by aslsp-fl
Sun Oct 28, 2007 11:43 pm
Forum: Copyright Related
Topic: Copyright of University of Chicago Verdi publications?
Replies: 13
Views: 11257

I am very critical of the Puccini critical editions. The standard - mostly public domain - editions were compiled under the direct control of the author, often by editors chosen with his consent. Most of the edictions were reworked several times, as Puccini was never satisfied with the very first ve...
by aslsp-fl
Sun Oct 28, 2007 1:58 pm
Forum: Copyright Related
Topic: Copyright of University of Chicago Verdi publications?
Replies: 13
Views: 11257

Ricordi made a lot of money out of Verdi and Puccini when they were copyrighted. As these operas fell in public domain, they began making critical editions to renew copyright. Again, while the business of selling scores is quite thin, the real money is on performance fees and broadcasting and record...
by aslsp-fl
Sat Oct 27, 2007 8:30 pm
Forum: Copyright Related
Topic: Copyright of University of Chicago Verdi publications?
Replies: 13
Views: 11257

The 20 year protection term for critical editions was estabilished in Italy in 1997: http://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/deleghe/testi/97154dl.htm The 20 years term was made retroactive, so it has to be applied even to critical editions published before 1997. As far as I remember, only very few Ricord...
by aslsp-fl
Fri Oct 26, 2007 10:51 am
Forum: Archive
Topic: Proposals, Ideas, Suggestions, etc
Replies: 68
Views: 167491

Please note that the difference between life+50 or life+70 is not only a money problem. For a minute, try to imagine being Schubert and not being able to set to music Goethe's poems because Goethe's publisher asks you an absurd fee, or even refuses to gives you permission because he thinks Goethe's ...
by aslsp-fl
Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:42 pm
Forum: Archive
Topic: Second U-E cease and desist letter (new topic)
Replies: 229
Views: 520148

A detail that almost everyone overlooked: let us say that Feldmahler, instead of pulling the plug, decided to ignore the second C&D letter. In this case, the only option for Universal would have been suing him in Canada. They cannot really sue him in Austria as an Austrian court is not competent...
by aslsp-fl
Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:28 pm
Forum: Archive
Topic: UE statement on the ongoing discussion
Replies: 101
Views: 485854

UE made perfectly reasonable requests in a perfectly reasonable way and in doing so showed evidence of a willingness to discuss stuff in a cordial way. Were I in Universal shoes, I would have written such a letter: "Dear IMSLP, you are offering European residents the possibility of illegally d...
by aslsp-fl
Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:02 pm
Forum: Archive
Topic: First Cease and Desist request text and reply
Replies: 9
Views: 29865

In my opinion, the request to remove files from the server could be considered as fair, as long as it does not include composition already in public domain almost everywhere. However, only a fool out of his/her mind could have signed the statement putting the value of an infringement at euro 3000 pe...
by aslsp-fl
Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:28 am
Forum: Archive
Topic: Second U-E cease and desist letter (new topic)
Replies: 229
Views: 520148

About the Dover scores: they can be found in European bookstores, even if and where they should not; there is little need to buy them from Amazon. In the past years Dover sales were very limited in Germany, but now I have seen Dovers even there - no matter who owns what. What is troubling now with D...
by aslsp-fl
Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:57 pm
Forum: Copyright Related
Topic: Copyright of University of Chicago Verdi publications?
Replies: 13
Views: 11257

Well, the problem is sort of no more actual now, but I have a reply. There have been a couple of cases in Italian courts about the critical editions, but without a clear outcome. So, in a recent revision, it has been decided that a critical edition can be copyrighted in Italy, and the copyright term...
by aslsp-fl
Sun Oct 21, 2007 6:47 am
Forum: IMSLP Announcements
Topic: UE boycott
Replies: 14
Views: 19590

horndude77, extracting parts for a Mahler symphony would be a lot of work to do for a single person, and even for two or three persons. Also: - not all performance materials for Mahler symphonies are published by Universal; notably, 5th symphony is published by Peters; - there are serious textual pr...
by aslsp-fl
Sun Oct 21, 2007 6:38 am
Forum: IMSLP Announcements
Topic: An orchestra librarian's open letter
Replies: 27
Views: 42534

mrscience, while the librarian job keeps me fairly busy, in my spare time I do organ recitals. In my next concert I will drop an UE piece for a IMSLP download of a little known public domain (19th century) work. - And, by the way, after I downloaded the piece, I ended buying anyway the original prin...
by aslsp-fl
Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:05 pm
Forum: IMSLP Announcements
Topic: An orchestra librarian's open letter
Replies: 27
Views: 42534

An orchestra librarian's open letter

First, let me present myself; it is the first time I post here. I am an European part time performer and composer; but my main job is being the head orchestra librarian at one of Europe’s main opera and concert houses. Under this description, I have worked several times directly with Universal Editi...