Hootenany,

It wasn't quite the way you describe it. Peer approached Victor, who had little experience or interest in the country music market, with an offer to work for them for nothing, provided he could keep the copyrights. Peer was nothing if not a good businessman, and he obviously realised that the publishing rights were far more lucrative than any salary Victor would pay him.

Having said that, my interest lies less in the issue of who owns the Cuban copyrights than in the possible ramifications of this case, and in its possible effects on various copyright claims over folk songs. (For further details see recent threads on Peter Kennedy and copyright).

Some of the material Peer copyrighted was clearly above board; the self composed Jimmie Rodgers material for instance. In a lot of cases however, he claimed the rights to public domain material without any moral justification.

I don't know where the Cuban material stands along this continuum. Presumably somebody must have signed something somewhere along the way, but the Cuban musicians clearly believe they have a case.