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A mysterious YouTube account that posted, then hid, a collection of 75 rare and unpublished Rolling Stones recordings may have been a canny attempt to avoid EU copyright laws and keep the tracks out of the public domain on the 50th anniversary of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 Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! (1970 UK first issue
10-track stereo live LP, the first Stones album to be issued
only in stereo, fully laminated picture sleeve. The sleeve
shows just a little light wear along the top edge with the
laminate still clear andthe spine sharp & the vinyl remains in
Excellent condition with just a couple of light surface scuffs to
show for fifty years - a great copy SKL5065) ROLLING STONES Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967 UK 10-track
deep groove stereo vinyl LP, on the first variant unboxed
Decca logo green label with straight text composer credits and
upside-down matrix in brackets, complete with flame red artwork inner
& 3D diffraction grating front laminated gatefold picture sleeve with
lighter blue border TXS103) See 'More Info' for details on
condition ... ROLLING STONES Time Waits For No One - Anthology
1971-1977 (1979 UK 10-track compilation LP, picture sleeve
with tongue logo inner. The sleeve has only a little light age wear
& the vinyl is Excellent with only a little light scuffing to show
play COC59107) ROLLING STONES Beggars Banquet (Extremely Rare 1969 UK
second issue of the 1968 10-track mono LP on the red 'unboxed'
Decca logo 'ffrr' label with 'S' code on the left and without any
tax code, reversed matrices and 'written by Mick Jagger and
Keith Richard' on one line, front laminated gatefold picture
sleeve. As most mono requirements were catered for in the initial
pressings, this second issue is far harder to find than that of the
first. The sleeve [VG] shows minimal laminate liftto edges, light
ringwear with a minor corner rubbing with the majority of the
wear centred on the spine with a few light tears, but the plain
design on the cover still has plenty of shine, whilst the interior
image shows minimal sign of wear. The vinyl shows more wear
to Side 2 with several light scuffs over both the playing surfaces,
still retaining a wonderful dark sheen; this has been
professionally cleaned and play tested. Not mint, but still a great
play copy LK4955) ROLLING STONES Beggars Banquet (Extremely Rare 1969 UK
second issue of the 1968 10-track mono LP on the red
'unboxed' Decca logo 'ffrr' label without any tax code, front
laminated gatefold picture sleeve. As most mono
requirements were cateredfor in the initial pressings, this
second issue is far harder to find than that of the first. The
sleeve on this copy shows just a little light shelfwear with
laminate splitting along the spine, whilst the vinyl does show
just a few light hairlines/scuffs, playtesting reveals no great
loss in sound quality, just the odd moment of background
noise, although nothing excessive. Overall a fantastic copy of
this very hard to find second issue LK4955)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