The body of pre-1972 sound recordings is vast. Commercially released "popular" recordings come most readily to mind -- from Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. But pre-1972 commercial recordings encompass a wide range of genres: ragtime and jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, country and folk music, classical recordings, spoken word recordings and many others. Some remain popular; others have long since faded from memory and are of interest only to scholars. There are, in addition, many unpublished recordings such as journalists' tape, oral histories, and ethnographic and folklore recordings. There are also recordings of old radio broadcasts, which were publicly disseminated by virtue of the broadcast, but in many cases are technically unpublished under the standards of the U.S. Copyright Act. These recordings are a rich aspect of this country's cultural heritage, and it is important to ensure that they will be preserved and accessible for researchers and scholars, as well as to future generations. This book provides an overview of the Copyright Office's research and public outreach concerning the legal treatment of pre-1972 sound recordings. It explains the process by which the Office undertook its research; describes the comments received as well as the views expressed at the public meetings; and explains the Office's recommendations and the reasons for them.
