Hi,
Ive read again and again here something quite not correct about the copyright laws, at least, the way it is in France and probably also in some other Europeen countries...
It is always said here that 50 years after the composer's death, the work is in PD, but in France, the time is: 70 years, PLUS the years of war, then 75 years if I count well...
And so, the thing to know is:
** since I guess IMSLP is based in USA, it can't surely be attacked for following USA's law,
** then, the only person able to maybe have troubles would be possibly someone in France playing a concert from such a part, and having in the public a inspector from SASSEM (they even do it for illegal photo-copies in music schools class rooms!!)...
Some data about copyright laws in France (at least)
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dsoslglece
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Carolus
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Actually, IMSLP is hosted in Canada and follows the Canadian copyright law, which is life-plus-50 years. Since a great deal of our traffic comes from the USA, we also pay attention to US law, which is probably the most complicated and confusing one on earth.
France has a basic term of life-plus-70, like the rest of the EU. However, if the author served in either of the two world wars (1914-18 and 1939-45), the years of service are added to the term in France as I understand it. Maurice Ravel, who died in 1937, is public domain in much of the EU. However, since he served in the French army 1914-18, I think the term for him in France is life-plus-74 years. If they count the occupation of Paris (where Ravel's main publisher Durand was located) by Germany 1940-1944, there could be additional time. Perhaps someone who is familiar with all of the obscure aspects of French copyright could enlighten us.
France has a basic term of life-plus-70, like the rest of the EU. However, if the author served in either of the two world wars (1914-18 and 1939-45), the years of service are added to the term in France as I understand it. Maurice Ravel, who died in 1937, is public domain in much of the EU. However, since he served in the French army 1914-18, I think the term for him in France is life-plus-74 years. If they count the occupation of Paris (where Ravel's main publisher Durand was located) by Germany 1940-1944, there could be additional time. Perhaps someone who is familiar with all of the obscure aspects of French copyright could enlighten us.
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dsoslglece
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Yeah, it is exactly what you said: 70 years + the war years (generally one counts 5 years)... and since you talk about Ravel, it really is a pity, since having no family, he gave on his will, all his belongings to his old nanny, who was not a musician, and today her descendant, not a musician either, I believe that he is a hairdresser (I hold nothing against hairdressers, but it is to say that he is no musician), makes some things with Ravel's music do make a musician hair stay on end... like saling rights to a sort of cabaret violin player to arrange the bolero for a solo violin with orchestra (and I think also choir!), and of course, with some cuts (without the original orchestration, it would sound a bit long!!)... and of course, rights to sale the recordings.
That sort of things are quite usual I think even if not so extreme, like for instance what has some time been done to Ysaÿe's music, for instance, taking the divertimento, cutting it in two, calling the first half first movement (after adding at the beginning an introduction in the orchestra based on the first theme), calling the second half third movement, and, as a second, insert the first half of the poème de l'extase... The general title of this patchwork being Concerto! all that in the name of making him known, but in fact, mostly in the name of money.
That sort of things are quite usual I think even if not so extreme, like for instance what has some time been done to Ysaÿe's music, for instance, taking the divertimento, cutting it in two, calling the first half first movement (after adding at the beginning an introduction in the orchestra based on the first theme), calling the second half third movement, and, as a second, insert the first half of the poème de l'extase... The general title of this patchwork being Concerto! all that in the name of making him known, but in fact, mostly in the name of money.