Music Business/Law Tips - "Public Domain"

A song that is in the public domain means that it is no longer protected by copyright laws. This is usually because the song is very old and the term of copyright expired (generally if the song was created before 1922). A song that is in the public domain can be used, released or sampled without having to pay royalties or get permissions. However, when a song goes into public domain varies case by case, so make sure that the song is really in the public domain before you treat it as such. There are some helpful online databases that list public domain works you can Google to find them. Ben McLane Esq benmclane.com