Hymns and translations by A. McDougall
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,538
    I'm looking for the copyright status of the hymns of Alan "A. G." McDougall.

    He passed away in 1965, but I've seen at least one of his translations marked public domain.

    Does anyone have a good sense of why they are PD, and which text(s) this applies to?

    Thanks in advance!
  • RoborgelmeisterRoborgelmeister
    Posts: 354
    His collection, Pange Lingua, was published in 1916.

    https://media.churchmusicassociation.org/pdf/pangelingua.pdf
    Thanked by 2tomjaw CHGiffen
  • PaxMelodious
    Posts: 482
    That depends on what country you are in.

    In most of the world, all his works will be copyright until the end of 1966.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,538
    How about the US? And what is the reasoning?
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,944
    If Pange Lingua was published in 1916, was the copyright renewed? The library of Congress has the renewals. @CHGiffen last time someone asked about copyright I think you gave an informed answer.
  • RoborgelmeisterRoborgelmeister
    Posts: 354
    Pange Lingua was published in London by Burns and Oates. There is no copyright in the book, but I have been told before that copyright is implicit, even when not noted, in Great Britain.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,664
    From :- https://www.gov.uk/copyright my emphases
    You get copyright protection automatically - you do not have to apply or pay a fee. There is not a register of copyright works in the UK.

    You automatically get copyright protection when you create:
    original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including illustration and photography
    original non-literary written work, such as software, web content and databases
    sound and music recordings
    film and television recordings
    broadcasts
    the layout of published editions of written, dramatic and musical works
    The length of copyright depends on the type of work.
    Type of work How long copyright usually lasts
    Written, dramatic, musical and artistic work 70 years after the author’s death

    [EDIT]This law - The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, was retrospective.
    Thanked by 1Roborgelmeister
  • PaxMelodious
    Posts: 482
    AFAIK, copyright is implicit, even when not noted almost all countries except the USA.
    Thanked by 1Roborgelmeister
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,170
    Copyright is implicit in the US now for works created here, but the rules that apply to older works depend on when they were created and where they were published.
    Thanked by 2Liam rich_enough
  • DCM
    Posts: 93
    https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-duration.html

    For works first published prior to 1978, the term will vary depending on several factors. To determine the length of copyright protection for a particular work, consult chapter 3 of the Copyright Act (title 17 of the United States Code). More information on the term of copyright can be found in Circular 15a, Duration of Copyright, and Circular 1, Copyright Basics.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,170
    The impression I'm getting now, though I haven't verified this, is that US copyright law respects foreign law in a lot of cases, but only for works after 1923 or so, which would put MacDougall's work in the public domain.
    Thanked by 3tomjaw Roborgelmeister rich_enough
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,408
    No doubt the hymns of Alan G. McDougall are all in the public domain. But it should be noted that McDougall's most used hymn text in our time - Christ, Mighty Savior - bears the copyright of Anne LeCroy. Texts in the public domain, if altered, may be copyrighted -- as LeCroy did with Christ, Mighty Savior. But the copyright only covers the new text by LeCroy. If someone were to use McDougall's original text, there would be no copyright issue. Or - the user could make his or her own alterations of McDougall's text and copyright the derivative work.
Add a Comment