IMSLP Forums

hello,

I am a pianist living in The Netherlands. One problem I constantly face and which is not possible to overcome is the copyright laws implemented in the EU which does not allow me to download some music scores from IMSLP (esp. the 20th century music) in which I am very interested.

Ik was wondering whether it is illegal to ask someone in for instance Canada to download te music I am looking for and send it to me by email.

This is also request for people that are member of this site and live in Canada, who would like to do that for me if it is legal?

Thanks!

chris

Can you not download it anyway? For if it is illegal to posses it from a website, I am sure it will be illegal (although not for us to deliver (???)) to receive it in an email.

The likeliness of anything happening to you for possessing a (c) score is very slim (if for private use).

I am not sure about the copyright laws of Australia but I can still d/l the Canadian PD scores.

All of the scores I have uploaded, I have got from P2P software, I virus scan it and check it's copyright prior to uploading. Quite effective.

I can download them but since they are not in the public domain in the EU I am not doing that because then I violate the laws. If downloaded in Canada, no law is broken there and indeed for personal use it can be send by email.

Chris

I can download them but since they are not in the public domain in the EU I am not doing that because then I violate the laws.

Your point? There is not really any difference between downloading of an website and off an email. you are still downloading the content.

If one were legal and the other not, you still posses copyrighted material regardless of the method for claiming it, so morally there is no difference, and legally, no one, ever will prosecute.

Ok I got your point, its just that I don't want one of those policedudes kicking my ass.

Let's see waht happens if I do download some stuff

Chris

Absolutely nothing what-so-ever will ever happen unless you start using them for other than personal use. (I.e. concerts).

Over here, in Western Australia the police can't even arrest you for it, they need to get federal officers (who aren't in WA) to arrest you, and they won't do that unless you are doing it for other than personal use.

In all truth if you downloaded Solti/Wagner's ring of a P2P nothing is going to happen to you ever, however I do not advise you do that. (If you are under 18, they can't really do anything either, nor as much if you are a music student)

Well, this is the information I got from someone who came to my uni and did a lecture on copyright.

tcentje wrote:Ok I got your point, its just that I don't want one of those policedudes kicking my ass.

Let's see waht happens if I do download some stuff

Chris

nothing. this would imply that federals are actively analysing your web (http) traffic for sheet music without any search warrant and then investigating whether it's copyrighted. they would need acces to your http traffic log at your ISP which they won't get without a judicial order. it's really not gonna happen. unless you shout out loud of course, or use it in music schools or concerts where copyright organisations are actively checking and reporting your abuse (like here in Belgium).

Here in Perth at my uni they (the uni) pay copyright for you if it is for a uni project or something. They advise you use proper scores, but they don't enforce it, nor is it much of a problem. However in concerts is a big no-no.