Countries with shortest copyright duration / no copyright

Post by **kcleung** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:13 pm

We all know about duration of copyright in US, Canada, EU and the Commonwealth.

For composers that have not died for more than 50 years, we can't host their works in IMSLP due to copyright reasons.

So which countries have a shorter copyright term? And can you give a list of countries where copyright laws do not exist? Then one can set up another site in those countries for works cannot be included by IMSLP.

horndude77 · Post by **horndude77** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:25 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co ... ght_length

Afghanistan has no copyright

.

There used to be a US repository associated with IMSLP, but for various reasons it was discontinued. Having repositories scattered around the world isn't a good idea. Just one in Canada is simple and easy.

Post by **kcleung** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:14 pm

So how can one set up a site in Afghanistan? (or have a free webpage from a host in Afghanistan)? Then works unacceptable to IMSLP can be uploaded there (at the uploader's risk)

Website · Post by **pml** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 4:50 am

You are joking, aren't you?

Many of us consider the arbitrary lengthening of copyright to be a bad joke, but encouraging people to break the law - unless they happen to live in Ethiopia, Iran (30y pma), Afghanistan, or Yemen (30y pma) - is not the way to work against it.

The remaining 96% of the world is bound by terms of at least life plus 50 years. (Yes, I'm glossing over things like the 95 year US term for 1923–77 copyrights.)

What you're suggesting is the realm of Pirate Bay (for which you don't need to find a server in Afghanistan). However IMSLP will not be going there, and I'm sure an admin will be along shortly to lock this thread.

PML

Post by **Yagan Kiely** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 11:34 pm

We jest about hosting IMSLP in Afghanistan, but in reality, as said hosting there would merely encourage illegal downloads. UE and ALL the other websites would be on our tail again. And this time they might have a case, as we would be deliberately going to another country to circumvent (most) international law and to provide illegal copies to people.

I am locking this, because it really isn't a direction that IMSLP wants to go. While we don't agree with copyright terms and there extension - and while we may (individually) campaign against copyright extensions etc., IMSLP does not actively aim to circumvent or ignore the law of the countries that the majority of users come from.

Closed.