Contents |
Unlike some other companies bought out by Ditson, Lee & Walker kept releasing what seem to have been actual new products, not reissues with new dates (as is the case with William Hall & Son, for instance, where some post-Ditson-acquisition publications- likely all of them- are reissues with false new copyright claims.) I wonder if (1) they were acquired in 1885, not 1875 (that is- typo), which would explain their continuing to release new products up to (not past, that I see so far?) 1885, or if there is some other explanation... Eric 02:00, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
I'm wondering if these "reissues with false new copyright claims" could actually be re-prints with copyright renewals. With many of these firms we've been looking at starting operations in the 1840s/50s I think by the 60s and 70s the original copyrights would have been up for renewal (28 years I think). --Cypressdome 03:25, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
Had had this mentioned to me before and had forgotten - in some cases yes, in some cases I think the period hadn't passed yet (the one I can think of was not Ditson but an attempt by the composer to renew - as Carolus pointed out the composer in question, in 1893 this was I think, rather messed it up- ah, and the composer even 'adjusted' up the plate numbers to make it look newly printed (Battle of Richmond, Op.54 (Moelling, Theodore) - original plates 354, new plates 10354. See User_talk:Schissel#Battle_of_Richmond.2C_Op.54_.28Moelling.2C_Theodore.29, too... that's what I was thinking of. Mind, I like what I've seen of Moelling's music, e.g. the fantasy Sad Thoughts. though I see that in those days one could not renew a copyright indefinitely without cause (reminds me of arguments about the function of copyright that have been going on for well over a century and probably much much longer than that) Eric 07:35, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
1st edition plate #s from between 1860 and 1870 (date)! :) Eric 01:01, 16 June 2011 (UTC)
Plates 284 etc. are copyrighted 1847. Eric 03:36, 25 February 2012 (UTC) (List of compositions by Charles Grobe lists Lee & Walker publications as early as 1846, though caveat, this may be a Willig imprint - perhaps?... - as I think they both worked for Willig until a certain point before leaving?... or am I getting confused?)
Then again, on Grobe's Op.248 (published much earlier, 1852) they already describe themselves as successors to George Willig. Wishful thinking, perhaps. Eric 14:45, 29 February 2012 (UTC)