[Smt-talk] Schenker public domain?

[kos at panix.com]

On Sat Dec 1 14:36:50 PST 2012 Nicolas Meeus <nicolas.meeus at paris-sorbonne.fr> 
asked:

> Heinrich Schenker died in 1935, almost 78 years ago. This, unless I am
> mistaken, places his writings in the public domain in all world
> countries.

It places his *unpublished* work in the public domain for those countries 
(like the United States) that maintains copyright for 70 years after the death 
of the author.

In the United States (and presumably Canada), his published works in the 
public domain are those *originally* published before 1923.  That excludes all 
translations (which were first published after 1923).

Unless US copyright law is amended, it allows for 95 years of protection 
from the date of first publication (for those works published in 1923 or 
later).

So the original publication of Der freie Satz will go into the public domain 
in 2031.  Oster's translation will go into the public domain in 2075.


Bob Kosovsky, Ph.D. -- Curator, Rare Books and Manuscripts,
Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
blog:  http://www.nypl.org/blog/author/44   Twitter: @kos2
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