IMSLP Forums

Hi folks,

After January 1, 2026, I'd like to post a French song which is copyright 1930. However, the song has English lyrics and the copyright statement—in addition to the 1930 date—specifically says "English version copyright 1931."

Can I remove the English lyrics and post the song (after Jan. 1, 2026)? I've seen similar examples on IMSLP but wanted to know if this is an acceptable procedure. (I would repost the song in 2027 with the English lyrics.)

What's the publication information — composer, librettist, translator, publisher/location?

Even if it is only PD-US in 2026, there is a good chance that the copyright in the piece itself, but also especially the translation, was subject to renewal and not renewed. Many, many items published between 1930 and 1963 are already PD in the United States due to non-renewal. I would be happy to research it for you.

But yes, if the ©1931 lyrics should prove to be ineligible for IMSLP, then submitting the score with those lyrics redacted is acceptable.

One of the songs is "Under a roof in Paree" (original title: "Sous le toits de Paris") composed by Raoul Moretti (1893-1954) with French words by René Nazelles (1888-1975). The English words were translated/created by Irving Caesar (1895-1996) - so even in 2027 I'd have to post it to the US server. The original publisher was Salabert ©1930; the American version was published ©1931 by Harms. (The song is from the 1930 film "Sous les toits de Paris.")

The other song I'd like to post is "If You Were Mine" (original title: Nous sommes seuls") composed by "A. Bernard" (neither LCNAF or Discogs has dates), words by René Clair (1898-1981), ©1930, English version by Sammy Lerner, ©1931, published by Harms. Here too, it would need to be on the US server, even after 2027. (This song is from the 1930 film "Le Million.")

You can see I like early French films. Thanks for your response.

You should be fine to post only the French lyrics after January 1, 2026. Since the English version is separately copyrighted (1931), removing it avoids infringing on that copyright. Just make sure to clearly indicate that your upload contains only the original French text and not the English adaptation. When the English lyrics enter the public domain (likely in 2027), you can then add them as a separate file. This approach aligns with how IMSLP typically handles works with multiple-language copyrights