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That's All Right, Elvis
Notes & Quotes
That's All Right, Elvis
Since 1 January 2005, anyone has been be able to bring out a song that has been on release in Europe for over 50 years without alerting the copyright owner of the original recording. This means that, unlike the US, where songs are protected for 95 years, the owners of recordings more than 50 years old will no longer benefit from European royalties. Since 1955 was a seminal year for rock and roll, we must brace ourselves for a torrent of boy and girl-band covers. Among the first songs to be affected are Elvis Presley’s That’s All Right and Bill Haley and the Comets’ Shake Rattle and Roll. Beatles’ songs, which form one of the most lucrative catalogues in history, are the next great targets on the horizon.
They start to come out of copyright on the 1 January 2013. However, before you go out and record your own version of Love Me Do, bear in mind that while the recording will no longer be protected, the song still will be for another 20 years. Writers and composers will still be entitled to royalties, even when performers and record companies no longer are. So European covers won’t be free – they’ll just be cheaper.
Since 1 January 2005, anyone has been be able to bring out a song that has been on release in Europe for over 50 years without alerting the copyright owner of the original recording. This means that, unlike the US, where songs are protected for 95 years, the owners of recordings more than 50 years old will no longer benefit from European royalties. Since 1955 was a seminal year for rock and roll, we must brace ourselves for a torrent of boy and girl-band covers. Among the first songs to be affected are Elvis Presley’s That’s All Right and Bill Haley and the Comets’ Shake Rattle and Roll. Beatles’ songs, which form one of the most lucrative catalogues in history, are the next great targets on the horizon.
They start to come out of copyright on the 1 January 2013. However, before you go out and record your own version of Love Me Do, bear in mind that while the recording will no longer be protected, the song still will be for another 20 years. Writers and composers will still be entitled to royalties, even when performers and record companies no longer are. So European covers won’t be free – they’ll just be cheaper.
