[Dixielandjazz] Copyrights - Copywrongs

[Steve Barbone]

Sometimes it is the "arrangement" that is copyrighted also. For example, 
on one of our CDs, the replicator insisted that I license "Route 66" 
because it was copyrighted. So I went to the licensing agent and 
received a list of many different versions. I picked the Bobby Troup 
version and was informed that it was not available for licensing. So I 
picked another one and licensed it rather than search for another 
replicator who might not be so picky about licensing.

Many of us here in the Eastern USA have CDs replicated in Canada to 
avoid licensing, copyright problems. I amy just do that the next time.

So much confusion lurks in the current system that MANY song writers 
used the same set of chords and wrote different melodies over them. EG 
52 songs with Bill Bailey Changes, or "Someday You'll Be Sorry" which is 
"Whispering" changes etc., etc.

But that too, is technically a copyright violation for anything written 
after 1923. Even so, the be-boppers did it constantly, but used a few 
chord substitutions to further confuse the issue.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone