The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #30703   Message #395705
Posted By: Spud Murphy
11-Feb-01 - 02:16 PM
Thread Name: Help: Copyright rules
Subject: Copyright rules
Somebody said in a previous thread that there are no stupid questions, but I feel stupid asking this. I was searching various places for the lyrics to 'Who?', written by Jerome Kern, words by Oscar Hammerstein, 1925 ex film 'Sunny.' The Big Bands Data Base indicated that a song with the same name, but without the question mark, was written in 1924 by Irving Berlin. A search of CDNOW and Tower Records discovered a proliferation of 'Who' songs(?) by various artists(?)who had recorded noise of one kind or another that sounded similar to that made by our old Essex touring car the day before we finally hauled it off to the junkyard back in 1930. By reading between the lines of the several qualifying statements of several lyric data bases, it is apparent some rules came into effect in 1947 regarding copyrighting music and lyrics. I'm interested in what that the story is and I don't want to hire a lawyer. (Or even talk to one) Appreciate your help.