IMSLP Forums

Hi!

what are your thoughts about the "Schweizer Volksmusik-Sammlung" (see the pdf-file here: http://gvs-smps.ch/html/img/pool/Hanny_Christen_dok.pdf , only in German, respectively the short description here: http://gvs-smps.ch/cms/website.php?id=/ ... chvmhc.htm ).

Of course nobody will ever have the time to scan the 12'000 melodies and dances of this great collection. But if one would - could he upload them on IMSLP? The melodies belong (practicly) all to the category "Anonymous composer"/"Traditional" etc. and have been played before 1940 in Switzerland. Musicologist Hanny Christen has collected them, mainly from the 1950ies to the 1970ies. Now, her collection has been published in the 10 volumes mentioned above. Whose copyright has to be applied? Hanny Christen's, because she wrote all the music down, the publisher's because he was responsible to set all the scores, or nobody's because (practicly) none of the works has a known composer (so the music would be wholly belong to the public domain)?

many regards,
pausanias.

Well, it seems to me that a Publisher and an Editor will have rights to this engraving and edition in any case. So, probably it is not passible scan and upload it on IMSLP.

Actually I do not think a collection of public domain material is enough to qualify for copyright, but I will leave that distinction up to the real copyright reviewers.

Hmm the concept of compilation copyright varies in each country. I'm afraid we're gonna have to look it up in the law text.