[Dixielandjazz] George Gershwin estate vs Warner Music - HollywoodReporter, January 14, 2013

[Jack Mitchell]

> "But the plaintiffs say that more is owed through other failures such as 
> using misleading
> royalty statements, failure to monitor the activities of affiliates and 
> abandoning
> territories including Asia and Australia."


Despite the "free trade' agreement between Australia and the USA (which 
benefits American media companies more than anyone else) George Gershwin's 
music has been in the public domain in Australia since 1988. Unfortunately 
Ira Gershwin's lyrics remain in copyright until 2054. Bloody ridiculous. My 
reading of the Act is that recordngs or playing of George's music, without 
vocals, would be copyright fees free, but no doubt there would be many 
lawyers willing to assert that black is white.

Cheers
Jack Mitchell