SOUND ON SOUND

[Handlestash]

Hello all,

I've taken an 18th century poem and made it into a song. I dropped the original repeated chorus and added two lines to the last verse to balance it out rhythmically.
The music is all original.

what would the copyright status be now? How do I credit it when registering it with the collection agencies?

Thank ye.

[blinddrew]

If it's 18th century then it's public domain now, so you don't need to do anything but obviously crediting the original author would be the right thing to do. :)

[Handlestash]

If it's 18th century then it's public domain now, so you don't need to do anything but obviously crediting the original author would be the right thing to do. :)

Of course, but what about the alterations?

[fatbenelton]

You can always credit it as ‘based on’....

I’m sure the poem in question is an original English piece but be careful if it’s an English translation of a foreign language poem. I was going to use some translated Latin poetry of Catullus in a pretentious concept piece a while back! Although over 2000 years old any translation may still be under copyright as each translation is different.

[blinddrew]

Good shout.

[CS70]

I was going to use some translated Latin poetry of Catullus in a pretentious concept piece a while back!

Quare tu facis fortasse requiro? :D

[fatbenelton]

The very one...me and a million other people!

[fatbenelton]

And in the voice of John Cleese’s Centurion from The Life of Brian it’s :

Quārē id faciam fortasse requīrIS

Now write it out 100 times....though I see what you did there! I think.....

[N i g e l]

What did the Art of Noise do on "Opus 4" ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL_F6oKsHiQ

from Thomas Hood's "No" from 1850- ish