FM's music could start to be Public Domain from 2017?
 

so according to this, we could one day put out Legies' Favorite FM Songs, Volumes 1-25 as long as we send a few bucks to the songwriters? :distress:

Yes. It's the recording company that loses an income stream when the copyrights expire. The artist will continue to be paid for 70 years after their death.

Fine with me. Money-grubbing bastiches.

Yes, but doesn't "copyright in the original work belonging to the songwriter lasts for the length of their lives plus 70 years" only refer to the publishing rights to the music - not the recordings?

All things being fair, artists generally derive income from the actual recordings as well as the author of the song itself.

So, for example, depending on contract arrangements, Peter Green would continue to receive royalties as the writer of Albatross but members of FM as an entity at that time including Peter would not receive royalties for the sale of the recording.

And remember, not all of the income from publishing goes to the artist, a proportion (half?) goes to the publishing company. So every time Penny Lane is bought or played publicly, Michael Jackson (shudder) and Sony make money - for the writers lifetime plus 70 years!