When the Beatles Will Go Public Domain

[Golem]

So I've been doing some research on public domain, I find the idea of when Beatles stuff goes copyright interesting in general, so here's my findings from what I can tell (take this with a grain of salt because copyright is complicated, but I did add sources). This is how it works in the US because thats the country I live in and the easiest for me the research, but most countries have similar laws. All beatles songs are copyright until 2067 at the earliest in the US, even covers.

People will claim things like "the songs are public domain in Canada" or "the songs are public domain 50 years after release and thats why they released Bootleg Recordings 1963", that's actually a slight misconception. In countries like Canada or the EU the songs do expire, but only the sound recording, the song is still copyrighted under the composition, so despite not being public domain they're still able to be sold under some circumstances.

Here is how copyright works, again this is the US law
A song isn't fully public domain until it reaches both copyrights

1) THE COPYRIGHT OF THE RECORDING
1) all songs recorded prior to Feb 15th, 1972 will lose copyright on February 15, 2067. (songs prior to 1957 even earlier but obviously not relevant for beatles)
2) songs after 1972 will lose copyright 90 years after being released, or 120 years after being recorded, whatever comes first

2) THE COPYRIGHT OF THE SONG / COMPOSITION
1) songs written prior to 1978 will expire after 95 years
2) songs written after 1978 will expire 70 years after the death of the last author

**Examples:**
__Cloud Nine__ (Harrison 1987): *Copyright 1* expires 2077, *Copyright 2* expires 2071, Public Domain 2077
__My Bonnie__ (Beatles, 1961): *Copyright 1* expires **2067**, *Copyright 2 already expired*, PD 2067
__Yellow Submarine __(Beatles 1966) *Copyright 1* expires **2067**, *Copyright 2* expires 2061, PD 2067
__Beautiful Boy __(Lennon 1980) *Copyright 1* expires 2070, *Copyright 2* expires 2050, PD 2070
__Back to the Egg __(Wings 1979): *Copyright 1* expires 2069, *Copyright 2* expires 70 years after Paul dies, PD Early 2100s
__Mind Games Outtakes __(Lennon, 2024, recorded 1973), *Copyright 1* expires 2093, *Copyright 2* expires 2068, PD 2093

*Content that is never released may be subject to different rules *

COPYRIGHT 1 https://ask.loc.gov/recorded-sound/faq/313179
COPYRIGHT 2 https://library.osu.edu/site/copyright/2013/05/15/198/

[Lord Reith]

It's different in each country I think but recent history has shown that when those expiry dates are reached, they simply rewrite the law and extend it. The law that made everything unreleased within 50 years public domain in Europe was changed a couple of years ago so that ever song recorded after John met Paul in the middle of 1957 doesn't expire till 2039, or something like that.

I doubt that for example Pepper will ever be allowed to go public domain. But it probably doesn't matter because no one will be buying cds by then anyway. And the remixed version that Giles made will not go PD until 2067.

[silver_2000]

So I've been doing some research on public domain, I find the idea of when Beatles stuff goes copyright interesting in general, so here's my findings from what I can tell (take this with a grain of salt because copyright is complicated, but I did add sources). This is how it works in the US because thats the country I live in and the easiest for me the research, but most countries have similar laws. All beatles songs are copyright until 2067 at the earliest in the US, even covers.

People will claim things like "the songs are public domain in Canada" or "the songs are public domain 50 years after release and thats why they released Bootleg Recordings 1963", that's actually a slight misconception. In countries like Canada or the EU the songs do expire, but only the sound recording, the song is still copyrighted under the composition, so despite not being public domain they're still able to be sold under some circumstances.

Here is how copyright works, again this is the US law
A song isn't fully public domain until it reaches both copyrights

1) THE COPYRIGHT OF THE RECORDING
1) all songs recorded prior to Feb 15th, 1972 will lose copyright on February 15, 2067. (songs prior to 1957 even earlier but obviously not relevant for beatles)
2) songs after 1972 will lose copyright 90 years after being released, or 120 years after being recorded, whatever comes first

2) THE COPYRIGHT OF THE SONG / COMPOSITION
1) songs written prior to 1978 will expire after 95 years
2) songs written after 1978 will expire 70 years after the death of the last author

**Examples:**
__Cloud Nine__ (Harrison 1987): *Copyright 1* expires 2077, *Copyright 2* expires 2071, Public Domain 2077
__My Bonnie__ (Beatles, 1961): *Copyright 1* expires **2067**, *Copyright 2 already expired*, PD 2067
__Yellow Submarine __(Beatles 1966) *Copyright 1* expires **2067**, *Copyright 2* expires 2061, PD 2067
__Beautiful Boy __(Lennon 1980) *Copyright 1* expires 2070, *Copyright 2* expires 2050, PD 2070
__Back to the Egg __(Wings 1979): *Copyright 1* expires 2069, *Copyright 2* expires 70 years after Paul dies, PD Early 2100s
__Mind Games Outtakes __(Lennon, 2024, recorded 1973), *Copyright 1* expires 2093, *Copyright 2* expires 2068, PD 2093

*Content that is never released may be subject to different rules *

COPYRIGHT 1 https://ask.loc.gov/recorded-sound/faq/313179
COPYRIGHT 2 https://library.osu.edu/site/copyright/2013/05/15/198/

I feel like I heard about something similar with the first few Micky Mouse cartoons, and how Disney was able to re-write copyright law to somehow extend it in some way.

[twogurusindrag]

That's not cool. Predicting death? No.

[snrub]

Paul is so determined to never lose his copyright again that he plans to live forever. Not sure if he'll make it that far, but he certainly might outlive many of us!

[jpgrcat1960]

Mind Games Outtakes?

Any info?

[MontyBeaton]

So when I´m over 100 years old I will be able to download The Original Beatles´ Music for free and can choose between thousands of Re-mixes made by thousands of people.
O boy, that sounds so 2024.

[Kwai Chang]

So when I´m over 100 years old I will be able to download The Original Beatles´ Music for free and can choose between thousands of Re-mixes made by thousands of people.
O boy, that sounds so 2024.

And, that is enough reason to disregard all previous regulation...
including ownership.
The catalog will never go PD!
Too valuable!
At least from an artificial vantagepoint!
Who knows?
Nobody!?
Thank you, Sir!
KC