New St. Basil Hymnal: Public domain, or not?
  • Stella611
    Posts: 112
    I've looked up the previous discussions about the New St. Basil hymnal, and saw in one that it was stated that this hymnal has expired copyright, so it's now in the public domain. However, you can order new copies of it through Hal-Leonard company, or sheetmusicplus.
    So has anyone done the legwork already, and can tell me officially whether the music in this hymnal can be copied, or not?

    We are thinking of selling our copies of the full hymnal , but there's about 25 hymns I would want to keep for supplemental use in the parish.


    Thanks!
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    If the engravings are new, they are protected by copyright.
  • Stella611
    Posts: 112
    what does that mean, "if the engravings are new"?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    The setting, layout, fonts, design, etc. may be under copyright. If you can find a setting that is much older, it may be public domain. Is the 1923 date still the cutoff? I have the New St. Basil, but there is a St. Basil that is older.
    Thanked by 1chonak
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    If Stella611 is writing about "The New Saint Basil Hymnal" published in 1958, described at
    https://hymnary.org/hymnal/NSBH1958

    the book's initial copyright term ran to 1986, and then it was renewed, as this database of renewals indicates:
    https://exhibits.stanford.edu/copyrightrenewals/catalog?utf8=✓&exhibit_id=copyrightrenewals&search_field=search&q=new+saint+basil+hymnal

    Sad to say, it'll be "protected" until 2053. Some of the contents may be public domain material, but you'll have to confirm that by finding an older published copy.
  • Stella611
    Posts: 112
    Thank you for the info!
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