Copyrights

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Seanpek
Posts: 66

Post by Seanpek »

I wish to know when you want to make your MIDI piece base on a score from a book and put it online for people to use, how does the copyright come into place?
For example, Wilder Reiter by Robert Schumann from Album für die Jugend, but the score is from the ABRSM publishing. How does the copyright come into place?
Choul
Posts: 487

Post by Choul »

Seanpek wrote:I wish to know when you want to make your MIDI piece base on a score from a book and put it online for people to use, how does the copyright come into place?
For example, Wilder Reiter by Robert Schumann from Album für die Jugend, but the score is from the ABRSM publishing. How does the copyright come into place?
AFAIK:
The books from ABRSM are under copyright.
Anything that's derived from a copyright source is copyrighted too, no matter how much work you have done yourself.
I can't imagine that ABRSM will allow someone to share midi files based on their source because as far as I understood they are very strict
in that you have to bring the original book yourself when you want to take an exam with their organisation. Copies alone are not allowed.

It doesn't matter that Wilder Reiter is available for free too, because it's possible that the piece is edited/arranged and republished as such in the meantime.

But if you want to be sure you're not really in the right place I think, you can better ask ABRSM or on the forum of http://www.imslp.org, they
know more than I do. The doubts I have here, is that it's perhaps a edition for students and I don't know if that makes any difference in the USA.

I don't know if you really meant to share that certain piece, because it's already available on this forum, one that's based on a public domain source.
Seanpek
Posts: 66

Post by Seanpek »

I'm just using it as an example because it is commonly available.
Choul
Posts: 487

Post by Choul »

Seanpek wrote:I'm just using it as an example because it is commonly available.
allright and thanks for clarifying, I understand. ;)
aria1121
Posts: 1505

Post by aria1121 »

Is it wrong if: Someone buys a song, and uploads it so other people can download it for free?
And: Someone steals the song and uploads it so other people can download it for free, but the downloader didnt know it was stolen?
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

aria1121 wrote:Someone buys a song, and uploads it so other people can download it for free?
If the license they paid for includes distribution rights, no.

You buy a 99-cent song on iTunes, you're not allowed to distribute it.
You pay $47 for a MusicBakery.com license to create something that incorporates Dreamy Piano for distribution, yes.

Though, in most cases it has to be the way I worded it: creating something new that happens to use the music. I'm not sure any license lets you buy something and then give it away free in its unmodified form.
aria1121 wrote:Someone steals the song and uploads it so other people can download it for free, but the downloader didn't know it was stolen?
It is a (very) safe bet that uploading something for others is ALWAYS illegal unless you have personally acquired a license that includes distribution rights (or the thing is in the public domain, etc.).

Distribution rights virtually never transfer, so it's an easy decision to make.
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