The Honest Musician's Fear of Accidental Plagiarism

[LDT]

Listening to this 'The Honest Musician's Fear of Accidental Plagiarism'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xw21s

mentions 'trad songs' at one point.

 

Not concertina related but interesting from the POV of copyright etc.

[MichaelF]

Listening to this 'The Honest Musician's Fear of Accidental Plagiarism'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xw21s

mentions 'trad songs' at one point.

 

Not concertina related but interesting from the POV of copyright etc.

 

 

By the time I noticed your post the programme was not available on iPlayer.

 

However I have often wondered how different does a tune have to be not to infringe copyright or be regarded as a different tune. Note my comment for Chris Drinkwaters's tune Angela's Waltz. Perfect Cure.

 

I remember playing outside for an event in Kent some years ago and being asked beforehand what tunes would be played. All the tunes were amplified "traditional" morris tunes, but it was clear an organisation such as the Performing Rights Society was looking at what was being played - possibly with a view to obtaining money or a prosecution. At the time I found this slightly alarming.

 

As an example using Morris tunes, Highland Mary from Oddington and from Bampton - similar tunes but would they be classed as different if one were copyright? Boys of the Bunch from Ascott and Orange in Bloom from Sherborne - not so similar. How would they be classed? Greensleeves from Stanton Harcourt - very different from the tune familiar to many people.

 

How different does a tune need to be, to be another tune - at least legally?