Copyright Time Bomb Set to Disrupt Music, Publishing Industries

Found on Wired on Friday, 13 November 2009
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If an artist or author sold a copyright before 1978 (Section 304), they or their heirs can take it back 56 years later. If the artist or author sold the copyright during or after 1978 (Section 203), they can terminate that grant after 35 years.

Sony Music filed a new copyright for the remastered version of Ben Folds Five's Whatever and Ever Amen album, and when Omega Record Group remastered a 1991 Christmas recording, the basis of its new copyright claim was "New Matter: sound recording remixed and remastered to fully utilize the sonic potential of the compact disc medium."

This might sound familiar, because BlueBeat.com employed similar logic in creating new copyrights to Beatles songs - right before it was sued by EMI and a judge barred them from continuing to sell the songs.

Hopefully a lot of musicians will terminate their contracts with the music industry and work directly with their fans. After all, the industry has proven that there is no interest in representing the artists, but only in trying to squeeze more and more money out of everybody.