February 23rd, 2006

Singers in France are protesting what they feel to be lax copyright laws in Europe by standing up against free use of many of many recorded songs. Popular, aging singer Charles Aznavour, 81 and musical stars in France are actively fighting European laws that allow anyone to copy and sell his early recordings and the recordings of others free or at bargain prices .

According to European Law, music copyright expires after 50 years unless the performer of the music and the composer are one and the same. Therefore, beloved Gallic singer Henri Salvador and Aznavour currently get no royalty payments from CD recorded versions of their songs. Salvador's Latin-inspired records were popular in the 1950's, and he still tours, but is infuriated that many of his earliest musical performances have now found their way to the Public Domain. Older singers are among the first to feel the effects of receiving no royalties for their work. The courts continue to oppose all efforts to change the law.

British singer Sir Cliff Richard has also taken up the fight in England, also with no success.

In the U.S., stricter copyright laws protect singers' recorded performances many decades after their initial release. Surprisingly, many of Elvis Presley's early recordings, such as "Blue Moon" and others have already entered the Public Domain in Europe. Royalty Free Music.com offers a detailed explanation of United States Copyright Law to acquaint those looking for more information about royalty free music or about the Public Domain. As a comprehensive resource for aspects of Public Domain and a major purveyor of high quality royalty free music for professionals across many fields, Royalty Free Music.com helps familiarize individuals with the many complexities of the music business.

NEW! -   Music Tutorials

Are you a Composer, Musician, Band, Flash or Video Artist that would like to be featured on Royalty Free Music.com? If so, click here