Re: Licensing and custom lines

[Henning Hraban Ramm]

> Am 29.10.2021 um 13:47 schrieb Wol <antlists@youngman.org.uk>:
> 
> 
> Copyright exists SEPARATELY in the composition, the arrangement, the 
> performance, and the edition.
>> As long as you distribute only engravings (output from LilyPond), there is 
>> no assertion in GPL of a need to release source, as described in my answer 
>> to Karsten.  You are free to keep the source used for the engraving closed 
>> and share it with nobody.
> Because the engraving is a mechanical transformation of the source, I think 
> the correct argument is these two are one copyright. And yes, because, IFF it 
> is all your own work, then you are under no obligation to share anything, you 
> set your own terms, you can share the engraving separately from the source 
> with no reference to any other licences.
> 
> This also holds true when engraving eg *original* Beethoven - the original 
> music is PD, you hold copyright in the engraving ...

That depends on the legislation – it is true for the UK but not e.g. for 
Germany.

In your legislation there’s the concept of “sweat of the brow” that serves as 
base for copyright in typesetting/engraving.

In Germany there’s no copyright in handicraft, and that includes type design, 
typography and musical engraving.
While music publishers claim to have a copyright in the “note image”, that’s 
simply not true.

But since there’s a copyright on editions/adaptations, most publishers make 
changes to the scores – even if they introduce errors.

> Copyright is a legal hairball - as soon as you start dealing with OTHER 
> PEOPLE'S work, there be dragons ...

Yes.

Good luck,
Hraban