The US copyright term for works first published in 1923, frozen since 1998 thanks to the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, officially expired on January 1st, 2019, (see this Wikipedia article for more information). The creation of this forum is to help handle the potential mass number of new uploads of items first published in 1924 (for 2020), 1925 (for 2021), etc. as a centralized place to discuss unlocking composer pages for those who died after 1969 and the creation of new categories and workpages for such composers on IMSLP. This also can serve as a place to discuss currently Non PD-CA composers that will become PD-CA if the files need to be moved onto the main Canadian Server from the USA server. Keep in mind that composer's death date is not the sole determining factor in a given work's copyright status in Canada. Outside of the USA, copyright terms are based upon the death date of the last surviving contributor, so authors of text, arrangers and others with contributions of an original nature must be factored in to determine if something is free in Canada (and the EU).
When making a new thread on this forum, please provide a link to any composer category page which is still under copyright in Canada in which you wish to add a new workpage along with a reference to an external website (if applicable) of the piece's copyright status (like on Worldcat is useful or some other site as evidence, like a composer's catelogue). You can also search through the Catalog of Copyright Entries if the date is known. A copyright administrator will review your topic and unlock the composer page for a short time for the new workpage to be added if approved. Please be quick about it (we will allow one day from when a moderator unlock the page for you) so the copyright administrator can re-lock the composer category once you are finished creating and uploading the file to the workpage. If you do not make the workpage and upload the file within a day, the page will be re-locked and you will have to ask again. Works first published after 1926 with the proper formalities or restored under GATT/TRIPS remains under copyright in the USA for any composers who died after 1971, the pages will need to be locked again as the pre-1927 items of this composer are free only in the USA. Please let us know on this forum and reply to your topic when you are done creating the workpage and uploading the file.
We sincerely hope the US Congress does not pass a new copyright extension in the near future, thus freezing in place works that would be entering in the public domain every year in the United States now and keeping them in 'copyright jail' for an additional number of decade(s). With public-interest groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation now trying to hold powerful interest groups like Disney (the primary supporter of the 1998 extension) accountable for their actions, a new copyright extension is less likely to happen unopposed. Even so in today's volatile political climate, anything could change rapidly so we must be ready for any new challenges which arise.
Reminder - Any works that remained unpublished during the composer's lifetime who died less that 70 years ago in the United States are under copyright for Life + 70, only works that had a first publication from 1927-63 (with the Copyright Stamp on the bottom of the first page of music or title page) that never received a renewal 28 years after first publication, would be eligible for uploading on IMSLP (1964-77 it is automatic 95 years since publication, still however Life + 70 for the composer in this case regardless and 1978 and later it is Life + 70). Otherwise, you will have to get permission from the heir or estate owner or party that owns the copyright to the composer to upload the work in question onto the site. Please do not make any posts regarding this rule.
Reminder - If you wish to add a post on this forum, you need to format your post in the form of a request, not a question about the status of a work, that is best suited as a post in this forum. We will not accept unlocking composer pages in a form of a question about a work on this forum, this forum is designed for requesting unlocking composer pages who are under copyright in Canada still (or Life + 50 Countries). Please do your research before making a post on here and make sure you have URL link(s) or a scan of a publication information page from a physical source as evidence of some kind for us to quickly review your posting.
PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING!
Moderators: Carolus, Sallen112, cypressdome, Copyright Reviewers