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From: orel@yale-com.UUCP (Matthew R. Orel)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Everlasting Copyright
Message-ID: <3202@yale-com.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 30-Mar-84 16:06:41 EST
Article-I.D.: yale-com.3202
Posted: Fri Mar 30 16:06:41 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Apr-84 07:20:48 EST
References: sdcsla.529
Lines: 22

	I do not know if the question of length of copyrights has been
dealt with already (apologies if so).  As far as I know, copyright lengths
are lifetime + 50 years (the copyright act of 1909 specified 28 years, ubt
it has been changed since then).  However, permission is only needed for
a first copy in any case, after which anyone can copy it as long as they
pay the appropriate royalties.  Also, material in the public domain (such
as tradtitional folk songs) may be arranged, with the arranged copyrighting
his arrangement.  (make that the arranger doing the copyrighting...)
	Btw, if anyone is still interested in the KDKA question, it is
my information that KDKA was, indeed, the first professional radio
station.  WEAF New York was the first real commercial station (KDKA was
run by Westinghouse for the purpose of selling radio sets, and not to
make a profit itself).  KDKA started in 1920.  WEAF also took part in the
first 'network' broadcasts over AT&T lines (the first such show was the
Eveready radio hour), and in 1926 became the flagship station of the NBC
network.  It took until 1932 that ASCAP successfully sued radio over its
broadcasting of copyrighted material, and a lot of our current laws are
results.
	So much for my annual contribution to the net.  Don't sue me if I'm
repeating anything that you've already said.
	-- Matthew Orel
	see header for address...