Copyright and the Public Domain Research

COPYRIGHT QUESTION
Robert E. Rowell - Robert_Rowell@compuserve.com

"It is not quick nor easy to ascertain whether a song is in the public domain. There are some guidelines, based on when the song was written." Mr. Rowell suggests the ASCAP page, located at: http://ASCAP.COM/playback/1995/october/guide.html

The ASCAP home page is located at: http://ASCAP.COM/ace/ACE.html

According to Mr. Rowell, the Library of Congress will do searches on particular pieces to determine their copyright status. He recalls that the fee is $20/hour, at a rate of about three songs per hour. The report will arrive in about 3 months.

Their phone number is (202) 707-3000.

Their address is:

Att. Reference and Bibliography Section
Copyright Office
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20559

MUSIC AND COPYRIGHT LAW

A free resource for anyone who has questions about Copyright Law and Licensing Music for use and distribution over the World Wide Web." The site is at: http://www.kohnmusic.com/