The return of IMSLP

[Carolus]

I'll try to give you an answer without getting into too much detail.

1. There is no such thing as a work that is completely "immune" from claims of copyright protection - irrespective of how false such claims may be. There are, for example, more than a few libraries and archives that make a claims of what amounts to copyright protection upon the manuscripts of composers who have been dead for well over 100 years, and even make claims upon scans or upon images made from older printed scores. (A vandal from France attempted to destroy IMSLP based upon such ridiculous claims just last year.) That fact that such claims have no basis under either statutory or case law does not prevent anyone with the money (like UE) from hiring lawyers to write threatening letters, bringing phoney and malicious lawsuits to court, etc.

2. The only way an entity like IMSLP can protect itself from the type of legal harrassment and thuggery so exquisitely demonstrated by UE and their lawyers is to incorporate as a non-profit, have an operating budget, and retain attorneys to defend against malicious lawsuits, threats of lawsuits, etc. Alternatively, IMSLP could continue operation as a division of an already existing non-profit (like Project Gutenberg), a University Music Library, or even a government arts agency.

3. There is no agenda apart from the fact that we don't want to be in a position of personal financial vulnerability from every crazed idiot in the universe who thinks they have some claim to a public domain work. There is no law to prevent anyone from claiming copyright upon a Mozart work and binging suit under a completely ridiculous pretense. Yes, they'd lose the case but Feldmahler would still have to pay an attorney to defend himself in court. So, we have to set up a non-profit corporation, or find a non-profit to back us with their legal staff, etc. It all takes time, naturally.

[macula]

I'll try to give you an answer without getting into too much detail.

Thank you, Carolus, for the clear and reasonable response to my question.

[Vivaldi]

To Macula,
Carolus is also implying that no matter the age or copyright status of a sheet music, there will always be somebody out there trying to claim copyright to it and hence claim royalty for its publication or performance. For example, a person may claim copyright to a Gregorian Chant piece that was composed over 500 years ago based on the fact that he is the direct descendant of the composer, which is absurd and with no legal basis.
IMSLP would have to operate as a non-profit is that imagine yourself in Feldmahler's shoes as the admin for IMSLP. If every once in a while somebody sues you for breach of copyright on a piece of music, even if you win every case you would still have to pay the legal costs, as Carolus has said. This may not matter if you're well off and can afford it, but imagine the mental toll it can inflict as well as the fear of another lawsuit coming in the horizon. So I hope you can understand.

[will_in_wi]

Have you contacted the Electronic Freedom Foundation?
http://eff.org/

They are around for stuff just like this. Another question is if it is possible to get a score for my personal use. I have been searching for the score to the reformation symphony by Felix Mendelsohn. Can it be emailed to me? Particularly if I promise not to redistribute it?

I really hope such a great site gets back online soon. I am a web developer and I am willing to help in whatever way I can.

Thanks.

[will_in_wi]

I don't know what the site looked like previous to the takedown. Would you like it if I designed a drupal site for this?

[emeraldimp]

I don't know what the site looked like previous to the takedown. Would you like it if I designed a drupal site for this?

The site previously used Mediawiki software; I think the plan is to continue with the same (although there were several project working on prettifying the mediawiki templates and such).

[Vivaldi]

The Choral Public Domain Library also uses the Mediawiki software if I'm not mistaken. You can take a look at the main page. Although there are obvious differences page layout and such, it is essentially the same as IMSLP.

www.cpdl.org

[Doeron]

Do you know, when imslp.org will return? Do you have a plan? Would it be possible to establish a newsletter, that informs the subscribers, when imslp.org is online again?

Hope to see imslp online soon,

Johannes

[Peter]

I don't know what the site looked like previous to the takedown. Would you like it if I designed a drupal site for this?

look here

[emeraldimp]

Would it be possible to establish a newsletter, that informs the subscribers, when imslp.org is online again?

You can be sure it will be announced here and on every outlet I have access to (er... my blog and the lilypond list ), and I'm sure others will be vocal as well.

That said, an announcement list isn't a terrible idea. Do folks want me to set up a google or yahoo group?

[emeraldimp]

look here

It doesn't do it justice... it was far prettier than I'm getting from the wayback machine.

[Peter]

It doesn't do it justice... it was far prettier than I'm getting from the wayback machine.

The new front page layout is visible in the last entry for the wayback machine (somewhere in july 2007). However, google cache might also work?

[Yagan Kiely]

Wow... yes... much prettier than... that, even before the colour upgrade.

[theoneandonly]

i think you're really letting us down.

[aldona]

Would it be possible to establish a newsletter, that informs the subscribers, when imslp.org is online again?

You can be sure it will be announced here and on every outlet I have access to (er... my blog and the lilypond list ), and I'm sure others will be vocal as well.

That said, an announcement list isn't a terrible idea. Do folks want me to set up a google or yahoo group?

Yes please!

Count me in.

aldona