song from an album being sold on internet

[Patty Lee]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania
My father wrote songs and copyrited them in the fifties, renewing the copyrights in the early eighties. One of his songs was published on an album. For years I have been searching the internet for the album on ebay, etcetera and nothing came up. Last week I searched again and up came the album which could be downloaded, and the individual songs also. I downloaded my dad's song and made it a ringtone.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania
My father wrote songs and copyrited them in the fifties, renewing the copyrights in the early eighties. One of his songs was published on an album. For years I have been searching the internet for the album on ebay, etcetera and nothing came up. Last week I searched again and up came the album which could be downloaded, and the individual songs also. I downloaded my dad's song and made it a ringtone.

Okay.

Who currently holds the rights to your dad's copyrighted material?

 

[Zigner]

Perhaps a more important question is this: Does the OP have a question?

 

[quincy]

Perhaps a more important question is this: Does the OP have a question?

I suspect it has something to do with infringement ... but Patty Lee might have only wanted to tell us she has a new ringtone.

 

[Patty Lee]

New to this site

I suspect it has something to do with infringement ... but Patty Lee might have only wanted to tell us she has a new ringtone.

As far as I know my father renewed his copyright in 1982, originally copyrighted in 1957. The album came out in 1958.

 

[Patty Lee]

Not sure

Okay.

Who currently holds the rights to your dad's copyrighted material?

I'm not sure. Dad renewed his copyright of the song in 1982. The album with the song on it came out in 1958. Now that dad passed, what happens to the copyright?

 

[Zigner]

How do you know the song wasn't licensed to the folks who made the album and who now have made the song available on the internet?

 

[Patty Lee]

I don't know. How do I find out when the group who sang the songs have all passed away? It was ABC records.

 

[quincy]

I don't know. How do I find out when the group who sang the songs have all passed away? It was ABC records.

You can contact Universal Music Group for information on ownership of the copyrights. The copyrights are likely shared.

You should also do a copyright search through the US Copyright Office: http://www.copyright.gov

You have some research to do, in other words.