*** Answering a msg posted in area LOCUSER (LOCUSER).

Hello Steph!

Thursday April 28 1994, Bill Grimsley writes to Paul Edwards:

 BG> Paul, at 20:33 on Wed, Apr 27 1994, you wrote to Geoff Armstrong ...

 GA>> Didn't the Catholic Church once sue Boney M for royalties on
 GA>> their song "By the Rivers of Babylon?" They said it was from
 GA>> Psalms or some shit.

 PE>> Sounds as whacky as Bill's story on "Happy Birthday".

 BG> It got a bit garbled in the translation, but I was talking with Jack last
 BG> night, and apparently it transpires that the rights to this song are held
 BG> by a private family in the US, and they would have to be descendents of
 BG> the original author, as under international copyright law, rights are not
 BG> assignable or saleable, except to accredited publishing houses, such
 BG> as when Rupert Murdoch bought Northern Music (or is that Northern Songs?),
 BG> the old Beatles' songs publisher.

 BG> Also, once the original author has died, the copyright must be renewed
 BG> every 50 years, and only by the author's descendants (unless a publishing
 BG> house).  If the copyright is not renewed (and this is where it becomes a
 BG> little grey), it can only be picked up by a music publisher, not a private
 BG> individual (which is what I misunderstood previously).  Is that any
 BG> clearer?  I thought not.  ;-)

Could you rebuke this please?  Thanks + bye.

Paul

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