IMSLP Forums

a.k.a. [TB] or not [TB]

Hello All...
Many works in the library are blocked from downloading, because they are not proven to be public domain in the USA ([TB] designation). Works published between 1923 and 1963 must have had their copyrights renewed with the U.S.A. copyright office, to maintain their copyright status. In the absence of renewals - many of these works can be freed from the [TB] technical block they now carry on IMSLP.

Now's your chance to have these checked! At the beginning of December I will be in Washington D.C. for a short holiday. I have set aside a few hours to visit the Library of Congress, where I will look up copyright renewal records. I am making a list of works to check - which everyone is welcome to add to. I figure that I will be able to check 40-50 works in the time I have set aside. These actually need not be works already on IMSLP - if you have a work you have not yet scanned / uploaded - feel free to add it to the list. I will print out and take this list with me (only pencils and paper allowed in the copyright records office!).

Note that it is unlikely that the more popular composers and larger U.S. publishers lack renewals. It is only more obscure or foreign published works, where the copyright holder might have ignored the renewal requirements.

Click here for the page: http://imslp.org/wiki/User_talk:Homerdu ... als-search

I'll jump in here to remind contributors that certain publishers - Durand and Ricordi in particular - were amazingly good at securing renewals, and even managed to do so while the Second World War was raging and were in the unfortunate situation of being located in countries either at war with the USA (Ricordi) or occupied by the Nazis (Durand). Our favorite Vienna publisher, Universal, was also quite efficient, so the likelihood of a Bartok or Schoenberg work not being renewed is very tiny. However, other publishers weren't nearly so good at the game.

No takers....?? I'm leaving in 24hrs...

It's a real long shot, but if you have no other takers: http://imslp.org/wiki/200_%C3%89tudes_N ... _Maxime%29.

I know Carolus mentioned Ricordi, but if you have time and absolutely nothing else to do some of Respighi's works would be nice to check (http://imslp.org/wiki/Pini_di_Roma_%28R ... ttorino%29 and http://imslp.org/wiki/Feste_Romane_%28R ... ttorino%29 are probably the most demanded works here).

Since I've gotten a number of complaints and pleas about it, you can add the Tournemire L'Orgue Mystique (Opp.55, 56, 57) issued between 1928 and 1934 by Heugel. That seems to be a particular sore point for some.

You can check, but I can almost guarantee with 99.9% certainty that the Respighi works are most certainly protected as they represent a huge portion of Ricordi's rental income.

One last thing that might be useful would be to check for any work of Medtner issused between 1923 and 1949. I don't think Zimmermann was very much on the ball about these - many seem to have been left un-renewed.

A wonderful woodwind quintet, not available for sale or only in really terrible archive copies - I have scans ready for download!
Josef Bohuslav Foerster Kvintet op. 95 Hudebni Matice Prague, 1927

Yes - I would be very interested to know what the copyright status of the Tournemire L'orgue mystique is.

Cedd.

Back from Washington....
Your specific requests...

Resphigi - Feste_Romane - renewed
Respighi - Pini di Roma - not renewed, surprising, as several arrangements are listed (band, pf 4 hands... )
Josef Bohuslav Foerster Kvintet op. 95 Hudebni Matice Prague, 1927 - not renewed - upload! I want to try it!
200 Études Nouvelles Mélodiques et Progressives pour Cor (Alphonse, Maxime) - renewed
Tournemire L'Orgue Mystique - sorry - I didn't get that far down my list

I will post notes on all the works that I have checked.

Are there no copyright records in other American cities? (i.e. microfiche backup, or paper?) Does anyone else want to do checkups from time to time?
There are a useful number of works not renewed! I'll coach whoever wants to do some checking - and - for those who want to visit Washington - there are other very wonderful things to do there too, remember!!!!!