This question is not about sheet music copyright but public recording release and performance of works.

Does anyone know precisely what the law is regarding public performance of works; i.e. in what situations the performer has to pay the composer (or copyright owner) a royalty for playing the works that they have written?

For example, one can freely perform, record and distribute recordings of oneself Beethoven should one wish to; but isn't it the case that if orchestras wish to play modern works they have to pay something to the composer (or whoever 'owns' the work, perhaps the organisation that commissioned it)?

If so, at what time can the work be freely performed (and consequently recorded and distributed) without the need to pay any royalty? Is it 70 years after the composer's death (the time at which other rights subside) or are the rules different?

Hi Anotherpianist

I don't know the answer to your question myself but try the Performing Right Society their website is here.

Also you could try this BBC site here.

Hi,
I had cause to contact the Performing Rights Society a few years ago (I was making a cd and some of the pieces were not out of copyright.
They were very helpful and I ended up paying a small amount on just a couple of works.

Maggie

Thanks Lucia and Maggie for the information.

I've looked at the Performing Right Society website and after having read the 'In-depth' reading have found the following information:

- The composer's copyright for a given work lasts until 70 years after the end of the year in which they died;
- Specific sound recordings of works are copyright for 50 years;
- Copyright of typographical arrangements of published editions lasts for 25 years, (which I presume means that one can photocopy music which is more than 25 years old, provided the composer has been dead for at least 70 years);

So I assume that this means that one could make a recording of any music and distribute it freely on websites and CDs etc. (according to U.K. law); provided that the composer died more than 70 years ago. Also that, in the case where the country in which the work was published offers shorter copyright protection than the U.K., the time before the copyright expires is equal to the time that the country in question offers.

I think that a lot of the problem with copyright law is that everyone's very keen to tell you what you can't do; but no one is very keen to tell you what you can do! Although that's quite understandable really....