IMSLP Forums

Dear all.

I have been made aware of this from a colleague. It is even remotely possible that a ballet can still be in copyright after the requisite time has elapsed, because of the playwright’s death date?

I know it’s a ballet with no actual lyrics during the performance, but the dramatic story or playwright was created by Melchior Lengyel who died in 1974.

UE are claiming copyright until 2045!

Steve

Since their is no text in this piece (its a ballet), we only look at the piece as a regular instrumental work then, which means that the music is purely original by Bartok's hand only. So it is PD in Canada and the EU but in the USA because of the editions were first published after 1923 in those years on those editions (separately) of the full score and the arrangement of the page, it won't be PD in the USA until next decade. Even though its based off of this playwright, who would be under copyright until 2025 in Canada, their is no text, as I already said.

They're grasping at straws. The only possible case in which the copyright of the story might apply would be an actual ballet performance in which the basic outlines of Lengyel's story was followed. Even then the connection is very tenuous as Lengyel was not the choreographer, and the outline of the tale is not the same as reproducing the text of Lengyel's story. They're claim of a derivative work over the music is really nonsensical.