As an internet publisher of music scores for some years — and threatened with legal action more than once — I became well educated in the various tricks that conventional publishers would use to protect purported copyright, often on works that were hundreds of years old. One of the tricks is to use an ‘editor’. (No-one is more heavily copyrighted than J. S. Bach, 1685 – 1769!).
I was reminded of this in reading the story of the attempt of a Swiss foundation, Anne Frank Fonds (AFF) to extend the copyright of Anne Frank Diaries when it falls out next year. They have appointed an editor whom they now say becomes a joint copyright holder and thus extend the copyright for his lifetime plus 50 years.
M’mm . . . I doubt whether AFF can get away with it. One very well known music publisher tried that one with me but promptly shut up when I challenged them to take me to court.
Copyrght law, particularly in the EU, is unfair and a total mess. Not only did the EU extend the author’s copyright to 50 years after death but made it retrospective — a playing around with time that even Einstein couldn’t conceive of. For example, Edward Elgar’s music fell out of copyright in 1984 — 50 years after his death — but then a few months later it was mysteriously reapplied so, according to EU law, it won’t be out of copyright again until 2034!
All is Status 