From Alex Hern at the Guardian
Vintage recordings may have been published in attempt to extend copyright protection
A mysterious YouTube account that posted, then hid, a collection of 75 rare and unpublished Rolling Stones recordings may have been a canny attempt to avoid EU copyright laws and keep the tracks out of the public domain on the 50th anniversary of their creation.
Shortly before midnight on 31 December, the YouTube account 69RSTRAX posted a collection of recordings including studio out-takes and live performances to its public page on the video-sharing site, with no commentary or explanation. Hours later, on 1 January, again with no warning, the account made all the videos private.
69RSTRAX only joined YouTube on 29 December, and offers no clues as to its identity – save a YouTube-mandated email address, which directs business enquiries to ABKCO, a music publishing company that owns the rights to a substantial chunk of early Rolling Stones recordings.
According to Variety magazine, which first reported the brief publication, the explanation could lie in the European Union’s copyright directive. Under EU law, sound recordings are covered by copyright for the first 50 calendar years after they were made – unless they have been “lawfully communicated to the public”, in which case the copyright term extends a further 20 years.
At the end of 2019, then, ABKCO would have faced a “use it or lose it” conundrum: if it did not publish the tracks it held, it would find it difficult to monetise them in the future, as the copyright for the recordings (though not the compositions) would lapse.
Some publishers, faced with similar issues, have released collections of recordings – of interest to super-fans only – such as the Beatles’ 2013 album Bootleg Recordings 1963. Others, perhaps less eager to share early, unfinished versions of songs with the world, have pushed what it means to “publish” tracks: a Bob Dylan compilation, literally published as “The Copyright Extension Collection, Volume 1”, was also released in 2013 in an edition of 100, and only sold in Europe.
But this would be the first time a label has taken such a minimalist approach to publication. Even while the Stones tracks were available on YouTube, they were reportedly tampered with to make them less appealing to fans who might rip them and share them elsewhere. “The rarest recordings – ie the ones not previously available on bootlegs – have a dial-tone-like sound as loud as the music,” reported Variety’s Jem Aswad, making them “a truly miserable listening experience”.
It remains unclear whether a publication of a single day, on one internet video platform, will be enough to satisfy European judges that the tracks were indeed “lawfully communicated to the public”.
ABKCO declined to comment.
Collecting original, vintage, rare and out of print Rolling Stones Vinyl, CDs & Memorabilia?
eil.com acquires new items every single day by The Rolling Stones, see what’s just arrived below and check our our full stocks here
ROLLING STONES Highwire (1991 UK Limited Edition
4-track 12" vinyl single, also including live versions of 2000 Light
Years From Home, Sympathy For The Devil and I Just Want To Make
Love To You. The gatefold picture sleeve shows a few light signs of
age (small patches of residual sticker marks to front) and the vinyl
remains in near as-new condition) ROLLING STONES Tattoo You (1981 UK first press 11-track LP,
including Start Me Up & Waiting On A Friend. Complete with
the illustrated card inner, the picture sleeve is Excellent with
just minor shelf wear & the vinyl is clean & in Excellent
condition with just a few light hairlines to show play
CUNS39114) ROLLING STONES Stone Age (1971 UK 12-track stereo
compilation LP, front laminated picture sleeve. The sleeve
shows very little shelfwear and, aside from a few light surface
scuffs, the vinyl remains in Excellent condition SKL5084) ROLLING STONES The Rolling Stones (Rare 1964 UK first press
second variant 12-track mono vinyl LP with red unboxed
Decca logo label with 'Recording First Published 1964',
'Cromwell Music' publishing credit and 'Hurran, Calvert' for
Honest I Do. Features the long version of 'Tell Me', - Matrix
reads XARL-6272-3A for side 2 confirming this edition of the
first mono pressing, front laminated picture sleeve listing I
Need You Baby. See 'more info' for condition details LK4605) ROLLING STONES Through The Past Darkly (1969 UK first
issue 12-track stereo LP with the second blue 'unboxed' Decca
logo label variant, complete with the original 'blue for stereo'
bordered shaped company inner, octagonal front laminated
internal pocket gatefold picture sleeve. The sleeve has a
crease to one corner, otherwise few signs of age and the vinyl
shows just a few cosmetic marks leaving it Excellent. A nice
example SKL5019)EIL.COM Favourite Music Update Rare CDs, CD Singles, Rare Records, Vinyl Records, Albums and Music
eil.com – the world’s best online store for rare, collectable & out of print Vinyl Records, CDs & Music memorabilia since 1987
Be the first to comment