[Asterisk-Users] MOH: Copyright issues?

[Bob Klepfer]

Alex Volkov wrote:

>AFAIK, in US the copyright expires 25 years after the original copyright
>holder (author, recording artist, but not sure about an assignee) dies, or
>after ~70 years from the date of creation (in cases where a corporation
>holds a copyright for sure), but do not hold your breath, as the companies
>like Disney constantly lobby to extend this period, otherwise you would
>certainly see Mickey Mouse cartoons in public domain by now.
>As far as royalties are concerned, I suppose MOH in US  for some company
>could be considered on par with a bar, which translates to pennies per
>played song, as long as no more than ~100 people are listening to it at
>once.
>But please do not take this a as sound law advice, as I am no lawyer ;-).
>
>Cheers!
>Alex.
>  
>

Unfortunately, it's much more heinous: 70 years *from the death of the 
last remaining creator*, if not a work for hire, anonymous, or 
pseudonymonous work.  If it is a work for hire, 95 from first 
publication, or 120 from creation, whichever ends first.  Whether is the 
work was in the first or second period of copyright (first 28 years) 
before 1978 changes some things.....I don't know - it takes a lawyer or 
a bought-and-paid-for politian to read this crap.  Too many words, not 
enough equations :)

http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap3.html#302


Bob