Hasn’t music that is older than 42 years served the copyright holders long enough?
It seems to me that after a generation has passed, the idea that playing that generation’s music preserves it. Also, how have radio stations been able to legally play music for free over the air waves for the past 90 or so years?
As the article states, sometimes due to deaths and legal issues, certain older copyrights are impossible to get licenses for. So the music, technically, cannot be played for any price.
Sort of like Disney getting extended copyrights on their old stuff.
Every 20 years or so, they pull out a few old items in remastered format, and sell them during a short window of time.
The Disney stuff extends some 70 years (or more).
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If the old music recordings gain prominence again, look for Cher and Babs to do more Farewell tours.
They do pay royalties for the songs they play.
“Also, how have radio stations been able to legally play music for free over the air waves for the past 90 or so years?”
They haven’t, they have to pay royalties for all the copyrighted songs they play.
Warner Bros. claims they own the copyright on “Happy Birthday To You” for 100 years (meaning their claim will expire in the 2030s if the laws are not revised once again to extend ownership).
Of course it is clear that “Good Morning To You” (which Happy Birthday’s melody is taken from) is much older than 100 years.
And there are persons who are still alive who lost ownership of their songs decades ago (or were never compensated even when money was owed by thieving labels like Atlantic). If “anyone” could release the songs, the artists could release their own “signature” edition and still make some bank on their work.
100 year copyrights only serve the interests of the few corporations that own the bulk of the material.