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Confused about copyright...

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:18 pm
by Florio
I'm trying to work out if it would be possible for someone in Canada to upload the Stanley Bate Flute Sonata Op.11 (1937). Bate died (suicide) in 1959 and so, theoretically, this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of his death. Does this mean that his flute sonata is now no longer copyright in Canada? If so, can someone legally upload the work to IMSLP? Would this mean, however, that people in other countries where copyright expires 70 years after the death of the composer cannot (morally at least) download the file?
Florio

Re: Confused about copyright...

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:23 pm
by daphnis
If the composer died in 1959, then he becomes public domain in Canada and other life +50 territories on 1 January, 2010. That being the case, at that time the flute sonata could be uploaded and be legal in Canada, however due to our self-imposed blocking of files that fall into this category (PD Canada but nowhere else), it wouldn't be available for download by anyone for a while.