Determining the copyright status of out-of-date software programs and games, old sheet music and out-of-print books on histories of families and towns for genealogy research are a handful of the other scenarios that have baffled the public. Some fans of old-time radio would like to broadcast or perform old radio plays but can’t find the copyright owners. Amateur singers who want to record songs they’ve sung in church are turned away because the studio doesn’t have the staff to research who owns the various copyrights.
In the meantime, those who want to build on old creative works will work to track down whatever copyright owners they can find….
[Goodman] added: “At what point do you eliminate my ability to comment on popular culture because of copyright issues?”
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