IMSLP Forums

For those who will be in New York City on June 23, 2015, there will be a panel discussion concerning IMSLP from 11am-12:30pm (probably at Juilliard). Here's the blurb from the IAML program:

IMSLP round table: Success stories and pitfalls for cooperation between IMSLP and music libraries
Presented by the IAML Programme Committee
Moderator: Jürgen Diet (Bavarian State Library, Munich)

This round table begins with an overview of IMSLP's current status given by Edward Guo, the founder of IMSLP, along with short statements by the other panelists concerning their experiences with the site. The following discussion among
panelists as well as questions from the audience will cover current cooperations between music libraries and IMSLP, and proposals for improvements in IMSLP from the view of music librarians. Other topics to be covered will be the use of bibliographic authority data, backlinks in IMSLP to scores from library digitization projects, and legal issues surrounding IMSLP.

Participants:
Clotilde Angleys (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
David Day (Brigham Young University)
Edward Guo (the founder of IMSLP)
Tammy Ravas (University of Montana)
Barbara Wiermann (Sächsische Landes‐, Staats‐ und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden)
Douglas Woodfull‐Harris (Bärenreiter‐Verlag)

Thanks. The program of this conference can be found on http://www.iaml.info/fr/node/1157 Click on 'Conference program'. I'm glad people from BNF and Bavarian State Library will participate!

I hope some of you were at the program - it was well done, with representatives from schools in the U.S. and Canada, two institutions in Germany, and a representative of the publisher Bärenreiter. Although a number of people articulated their personal issues with IMSLP, Edward Guo was totally unperturbed by such comments. When questioned about "ethical" nature of some uploades, Guo responded definitely: "Ethnics are subjective; we rely on the law."

But more interestingly was the example of how the Bibliothèque Nationale de France is negotiating a contract with IMSLP that will lead to 27,000 scores being added to IMSLP from Gallica (France's national digital library). That clearly inspired others. A representative of a music library in Brazil wanted to upload 1,000 scores of Brazilian composers, and others expressed similar desires.

The session ended with the thought that librarians should create some kind of document on IMSLP for other librarians who want to contribute their scores to the site.

kosboot wrote: "Ethnics are subjective; we rely on the law."

Thanks. I guess you mean ethics I'm looking forward for minutes of the entire conference and news about the BNF contract.

This is fantastic to see that over 20,000 more scores may be added to the site! I am curious, what was the Baerenwriter representative stance on IMSLP right now?

Sallen112 wrote:This is fantastic to see that over 20,000 more scores may be added to the site! I am curious, what was the Baerenwriter representative stance on IMSLP right now?

He knew quite well that much of the online version of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe is on IMSLP. He argued that presenting just the music gives an incorrect impression. Instead, he argued that these scores, being a critical edition, must be seen with their critical reports as an integral whole.

He was very diplomatic, but I gather that he was not pleased with the idea of IMSLP.

I quick report also about the copyright panel this Thursday (9am-12:30pm): Copyright in a changing digital landscape.

In the first part of the session, it was presented topics about the past, present and the future regarding copyright issues. Mr. Miller talked about the musical performance rights in the 19th-century, using court examples of disputes in the US. Mr. Harbeson focussed on the librarians' perspectives regarding the copyright protection of institutional recordings (curricular ensembles, recitals, teaching projects, etc.) and some different definitions of ownership in different states. At the end of this part, Mr. Tsui talked about the copyright issues regarding the right of libraries to copy their own books to allow full text searches in the library catalogue.

The second part followed by Mr. Clarida showing the court case plagiarism dispute of William's "Blurred Lines" (2013) and Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" (1977). Finally, Mr. Chesser's presentation ("Copyright in a changing landscape: a UK perspective") talked about different approaches regarding the copyright in the US and UK in the point of view of the Common Law.

A brief mention to IMSLP was made by the respondent, Mrs. Riva from Italy, regarding the Canadian vs. European laws. Her comments about the panel concentrated in the differences of perspectives in the US and EU through the concepts of the copyright and the droits d'auteur.

The panel was present by the IMS Programme Committee:

Derek Miller(Assistant Professor of English,Harvard University)
EricHarbeson (Librarian, College of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder; Chair, Music Library Association's legislative committee)
Nicholas Tsui (Attorney with Alston & Bird LLP)
Robert Clarida (Attorney, former Trustee, Copyright Society oftheUSA; Partner at Reitler, Kailas and Rosenblatt, LLC, New York City, New York)
Richard Chesser (Head of Music, British Library, London; Chair, RISM UK Trust; former Chair, IAML copyright committee)

Respondent:
Federica Riva (Music Librarian, Conservatorio Statale di Musica Luigi Cherubini, Florence, Italy, former Chair, IAML copyright committee; Head, IAML/Italy)

Thanks Feduol. Sounds like their focus was somewhat different from IMSLP's (except for the droits d'auteur issue which is relevant, though obviously we don't observe it), but good to know. Copyright laws for recordings are an unholy mess in the US, though luckily it's much better in Canada.

imslp wrote:Thanks Feduol. Sounds like their focus was somewhat different from IMSLP's (except for the droits d'auteur issue which is relevant, though obviously we don't observe it), but good to know. Copyright laws for recordings are an unholy mess in the US, though luckily it's much better in Canada.

Canada might be changing its copyright law for sound recordings by giving it an extension from Life+50 to Life+70, which means it will be the same as the EU, thanks to the Trade-Pacific Partnership.

kosboot wrote:But more interestingly was the example of how the Bibliothèque Nationale de France is negotiating a contract with IMSLP that will lead to 27,000 scores being added to IMSLP from Gallica (France's national digital library).

Will these be low-resolution scans along with intructions how to purchase a high-resolution one? I'm interested on BNF's attitude!