In Honor of the recent paste wax thread, and specifically, in honor of Johnson's Paste Wax, I'm
uploading an episode of Fibber McGee and Molly, sponsored by Johnson's Wax and Glocoat, to abpw.

This is a Big file - 6.9 megs, and mostly on topic. The episode (#229) is entitled "McGee Builds a
Doghouse" and was first broadcast January 2, 1940.

For other episodes, lurk in the alt.binaries.sounds.radio.* groups until something interesting comes
by. There are an additional episodes 698 in the series known to exist.

Copyright has long since expired on this series, so all the armchair lawyers can rest easy.

Enjoy.

Roy

Many of the parts are missing from my server, but that ain't news.

Your country and mine just concluded a treaty on copyright (inter alia) and
has extended copyright protection to 75 years after the death of the author.
Previously it was only 50 years here in Oz - no idea what it was over
there. This impacts far beyond what our legislators foresaw eg. in my other
hobby of amateur dramatics many plays and songs that were soon to be free to
perform are locked up for another 25 years. A couple of years ago we were
going to include the song "Lily Marlene" in one of our plays but had to pull
the number when we heard what the royalties were $150 per night, more than a
whole Neil Simon play.

At any rate the copyright may not have expired unless the author died before
1955

Mekon

"Mekon" wrote in message
...
Many of the parts are missing from my server, but that ain't news.

Your country and mine just concluded a treaty on copyright (inter alia)
and
has extended copyright protection to 75 years after the death of the
author.
Previously it was only 50 years here in Oz - no idea what it was over
there. This impacts far beyond what our legislators foresaw eg. in my
other
hobby of amateur dramatics many plays and songs that were soon to be free
to
perform are locked up for another 25 years. A couple of years ago we were
going to include the song "Lily Marlene" in one of our plays but had to
pull
the number when we heard what the royalties were $150 per night, more than
a
whole Neil Simon play.

At any rate the copyright may not have expired unless the author died
before
1955

It may be 1905 in the States, but I'm not sure. And I'm pretty sure it's not
retroactive...that is, if something was going out of copyright, or had gone,
before the law was implemented, it cannot be returned to copyrighted status.

"Lili Marlene" is how old? In the U.S., until, IIRC, 1978, there was a 28-28
term deal. Original copyright was 28 ears, could be renewed for 28 years,
and after that, the material was in the public domain.

"Mekon" wrote in message
...
Many of the parts are missing from my server, but that ain't news.

Your country and mine just concluded a treaty on copyright (inter alia)
and
has extended copyright protection to 75 years after the death of the
author.
Previously it was only 50 years here in Oz - no idea what it was over
there. This impacts far beyond what our legislators foresaw eg. in my
other
hobby of amateur dramatics many plays and songs that were soon to be free
to
perform are locked up for another 25 years. A couple of years ago we were
going to include the song "Lily Marlene" in one of our plays but had to
pull
the number when we heard what the royalties were $150 per night, more than
a
whole Neil Simon play.

At any rate the copyright may not have expired unless the author died
before
1955

It's a great world when a cure for cancer becomes public domain after 20
years, but a 4-minute song pays royalties for a hundred.

In article , "George" George@least
wrote:

It's a great world when a cure for cancer becomes public domain after 20
years, but a 4-minute song pays royalties for a hundred.

Would you rather it the other way 'round?

--
__________

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents,
more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some
great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach
their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned
by a downright moron."
H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

George wrote:
"Mekon" wrote in message
...

Many of the parts are missing from my server, but that ain't news.

Your country and mine just concluded a treaty on copyright (inter alia)
and
has extended copyright protection to 75 years after the death of the
author.
Previously it was only 50 years here in Oz - no idea what it was over
there. This impacts far beyond what our legislators foresaw eg. in my
other
hobby of amateur dramatics many plays and songs that were soon to be free
to
perform are locked up for another 25 years. A couple of years ago we were
going to include the song "Lily Marlene" in one of our plays but had to
pull
the number when we heard what the royalties were $150 per night, more than
a
whole Neil Simon play.

At any rate the copyright may not have expired unless the author died
before
1955


It's a great world when a cure for cancer becomes public domain after 20
years, but a 4-minute song pays royalties for a hundred.


Ah, the power of the record companies.

"Charles Self" wrote in message
news:QDDlf.240354$zb5.52695@bgtnsc04-
(snip)

It may be 1905 in the States, but I'm not sure. And I'm pretty sure it's
not
retroactive...that is, if something was going out of copyright, or had
gone,
before the law was implemented, it cannot be returned to copyrighted
status.


That is certainly true here.

"Lili Marlene" is how old? In the U.S., until, IIRC, 1978, there was a
28-28
term deal. Original copyright was 28 ears, could be renewed for 28 years,
and after that, the material was in the public domain.

Not so different then.

I think the intent of the treaty was to extend the rights for movie makers
Disney et al.

Mekon

On Wed, 07 Dec 2005 09:42:58 GMT, "Mekon" wrote:

Many of the parts are missing from my server, but that ain't news.

Your country and mine just concluded a treaty on copyright (inter alia) and
has extended copyright protection to 75 years after the death of the author.
Previously it was only 50 years here in Oz - no idea what it was over
there. This impacts far beyond what our legislators foresaw eg. in my other
hobby of amateur dramatics many plays and songs that were soon to be free to
perform are locked up for another 25 years. A couple of years ago we were
going to include the song "Lily Marlene" in one of our plays but had to pull
the number when we heard what the royalties were $150 per night, more than a
whole Neil Simon play.

At any rate the copyright may not have expired unless the author died before
1955

Mekon


Old Time Radio is a confusing mish-mash of copyright at times. Many, many of the shows never had
their copyright renewed. Many did, but some failed to meet the mid-70's deadline that allows rights
to extend for the next millennium or so.

Johnson's Wax owned something like 20 years of Fibber McGee and Molly due to being the sponsors.
The reason so many FMM shows have good sound quality is directly related to Johnson's. They kept
copies of the original transcription discs locked up in their corporate vaults for many years. They
eventually released these to the public when they found out the large interest in OTR shows still
existed. Brilliant marketing ploy, as their commercials are an integral part of the plot of each
episode. There is absolutely no way you could take the commercial out of the show without doing
great damage to the gag lines, if not the plot. Harlowe P. Wilcox, aka "Waxy+, the Johnson's wax
advocate was an integral part of the show.

Anyway, some OTR series are still under copyright. I believe Abbott and Costello rights are still
owned by the Costello family. There are a bazillion threads available on copyright issues in the
a.b.s.r.* hierarchy. Do a search on either "copyright" or "Radio Spirits" in those groups for many
hours of entertaining (?) reading.

In article ,
Charles Self wrote:
"Mekon" wrote in message
...
Many of the parts are missing from my server, but that ain't news.

Your country and mine just concluded a treaty on copyright (inter alia)
and
has extended copyright protection to 75 years after the death of the
author.
Previously it was only 50 years here in Oz - no idea what it was over
there. This impacts far beyond what our legislators foresaw eg. in my
other
hobby of amateur dramatics many plays and songs that were soon to be free
to
perform are locked up for another 25 years. A couple of years ago we were
going to include the song "Lily Marlene" in one of our plays but had to
pull
the number when we heard what the royalties were $150 per night, more than
a
whole Neil Simon play.

At any rate the copyright may not have expired unless the author died
before
1955

It may be 1905 in the States, but I'm not sure. And I'm pretty sure it's not
retroactive...that is, if something was going out of copyright, or had gone,
before the law was implemented, it cannot be returned to copyrighted status.

What you "think" you know is, quite simply, *wrong*.

When U.S. copyright statutes were revised, to comply with "Berne Convention"
standards, the revision _was_ retroactive, _if_ the party who owned the
'expired' copyright chose to claim the extended rights. *MOST* copyright
owners _did_ avail themselves of that option. Exercised by simply filing
a notice with the Library of Congress. The Library published annual lists
for several years of all the works that had been "returned" to copyrighted
status.

"Lili Marlene" is how old? In the U.S., until, IIRC, 1978, there was a 28-28
term deal. Original copyright was 28 ears, could be renewed for 28 years,
and after that, the material was in the public domain.

That _was_ true, pre-1978, for works created pre-1978

It is *NOT* true, _now_, for works pre-1978

Today, you have something like _five_ classes of works to deal with.

When the 1978 revisions were made, there ended up being three classes of
works:
1) works under continuous copyright since their creation,
for which copyright rights were extended by the new law.
2) Works which were 'old enough' that the copyright rights under
the new law would have already expired. Things didn't have to
be out of copyright for terribly long under the _old_ rules, before
they were also out-of-copyright under the post-1978 rules
3) Then there was the 'in-between' case -- where the original copyright
had run out, but a copyright under the new rules would still be valid.
Copyright holders could 'register' with the LoC that they were claiming
the extended protections.

Post 1978, there have been at least one (I think _two_) revisions to the
Copyright statute, concerning copyright duration. Extending it, and thereby
introducing additional classes of things that are "not covered under the
previously rules, but would be eligible under the newly revised rules."
At least one of those extensions created 'yet another' class of objects who
were eligible for a 'restored' copyright.

Items that went 'out of copyright', but then had the copyright 'restored'
are "interesting" animals. Copies made _while_ the copyright was expired
*are* legal. copies made (without license) after the copyright was restored
are not. Copies, made after copyright was restored, of a legitimately-made
copy (made during the period when copyright had expired) _are_ an infringement
of the rights of the copyright holder of the original work; while they are
_not_ an infringement of the rights of the maker of that 'legitimate copy'.

To mis-quote the Sargent from "Hill Street Blues":

It's a _strange_ world out there!!

wry grin