[Dixielandjazz] Copyright

[Dan Augustine]

DJMLers--
     What's the current cutoff-year for copyright?  Does anyone 
understand the latest government rules on this?  I asked my friend 
Jim Bryan about this (he owns and runs one of the best 
sheet-music/songbook stores in the country, Alpha Music in Austin), 
and he said he wasn't sure what the law was now.  And the non-USA 
laws are (of course) different from the European and other-country 
laws, aren't they?
     Any (even vague) ideas?  1908?  1929?  Didn't it used to be 28 
years from the date of publication, then one renewal for another 28 
years?  And wasn't that superceded by life of the composer plus 50 
years?  Or not?  Now that i've retired i'm dusting off the brass 
arrangements i made in the 1970's of Scott Joplin, Janacek, 
Hindemith, etc., and am thinking about trying to get them published. 
Thanks.

     Dan
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**  Dan Augustine    Austin, Texas   ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu     **
**    From the California Civil Code, "Maxims of Jurisprudence":      **
**              "#3537. Superfluity does not vitiate."                **
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