Duke’s Law school’s understanding of public domain is so good.. CBS news used them to explain the uses of Public Domain on YouTube.

© Hutchinsphoto

Bob Iger, what’s up? Lawyers ask “You could have done this earlier. Why didn’t you?”  I don’t have the $ to compete with the latest twist. The extension of the public domain law proved unnecessary. Lost Mickey? Steamboat Willie, not Mickey Mouse as we know him, enters the public domain in 2024 finally. No Sonny or  pols to do your bidding? While this copyright may be up, Disney still holds the trademark on Mickey as a “corporate mascot and identifier.” What does that mean?

St. Louis raised Irene Scruggs’ amazing vocals come alive in ” Married Man Blues.”  Scruggs blends beautifully with the strumming of Blind Blake’s guitar in this 1930 recording that was never released on 78.  Known for her alluring voice and raunchy/sexy blues sensibilities, her voice tunes with the music in such a way that you just feel her passion. Scruggs is a definite female blues recording artist that time has proven worthy Enjoy 🙂

Please help me!  I wrote this song in 1976. The recording I made got the attention of the record company guy (me at the time), who got my message. I want the message to get out to everyone.  I didn’t perform it because I thought it was an obvious sentiment. I’m now too old to want promote this song live or on social media, ergo I NEED YOUR HELP.

A BRIEF HISTORY:

I was walking through an exhibit of player pianos in 1975 and saw a one-man-band playing “Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa. It was so cool! I recorded it with Glen Kolotkin. I wrote a ditty incorporating a nursery rhyme about being kind to web-footed friends in my duck voice. I was helped by Jon Sargent of Purple Earthquake , who arranged the vocals and Tommy Dunbar, Rubinoos, who added electric guitar in the “Pete” tradition of working with Beserkley band members.

The song was released in 1976 to coincide with the America’s 200th birthday. I never toured, I was not an act.. After the recording paid for itself, I stopped working the song. I felt the premise of the song was so obvious and forgot about it until

IT GOT ERIC DIN’S ATTENTION.

THE SONG GOT ERIC DIN’S (another record company guy) ATTENTION.

Says Din: “We’re excited to get this timely remix out to the streaming services on Earth Day 2022. I was surprised to learn Pete did the “duck” vocals himself, and when I read the lyrics, this suddenly became more than a novelty song for me. It’s an unexpected environmental anthem, and we’re proud to release it on Berkeley Cat Records.

I made the original video with Calvin West, drawings by Trimla Rose, and I posted it on Youtube.

intellectual property was preserved by common law. Then the copyright concept allowed one to own the intellectual property they created. The copyright developed its own lengths for protection and who, what, and when the copyright can vest  are ever changing issues. There was even an international agreement about this issue.

Public domain traces its roots to the copyright movement when the printers in Europe introduced concept of ownership of an idea or intellectual property. Copyright law was one of the first laws passed in the U.S. in 1790.  When the copyright expires, the work enters the public domain. 

What actually happens 

There is noone with a copyright to enforce. So you are on your own. A correct use of this public use should not have anyone trying to enforce the copyright. Of course the person (usually a publisher) who has collected monies on behalf of the copyright hates you,  Free use is the last thing to encourage, and will still try to collect on this earning copyright. The music composition has two copyrights one covering the composition and another covering the sound recording. They are referred to as the circle “p” and the circle  “c.” They represent the both of the copyrights in musical compositions. So after you are convinced the music use  is what is yours by law, please don’t expect anyone to inform you. If the intellectual property is in the public domain, no one will have standing to enforce anything. 

So i recommend doing your own research

as to whether the intellectual property is in the public domain. This research will help as a precursor to a potential challenge to your use. 

Once you have ascertained the music was in the public domain

use it for what ever you want and wait for no one to enforce the copyright, 

One rule of thumb,  

In any country music made before 1923 is in the public domain.

Fortunately for music 

the phonograph had been in invented years before.

This is an example of a song in the public domain by virtue of the date. 1923