Answering Reader Questions Since 2008

• Getting Rights for Clergy Abuse Survivor Play
  Dear Rich: I am writing a play based on the life of Phil Saviano, the clergy-abuse survivor who was featured in the movie Spotlight (portrayed by actor Neal Huff). Phil was an avid fan and personal friend of singer/songwriter Judy Collins. Judy Collins is a character in the play. The play features portions of fifteen […]
• 007: License to Infringe
  Dear Rich: Ian Fleming's Casino Royale entered the public domain in Japan in 2015, 50 years after his death. The same 50-year rule applies in Canada, where Fleming's character of James Bond is also in the public domain. In 2023, a Japanese musical, Casino Royale - My Name's Bond, based on Ian Fleming's Casino Royale novel, became […]
• Release Me: Interview Consents and Multiple Uses
  Dear Rich: If a reporter has consent to interview someone, can that reporter also play that recording during an interview on air?  The reporter can probably play the interview on air, but the answer depends on several factors.Consent: Oral, implied, or written. A consent to interview (also known as a 'release') is a promise by […]
• Publicly Posted PowerPoint ≠ Public Domain
  Dear Rich: I run a volunteer-run/non-profit educational program for students who have failed the Naplex several times. I saw PowerPoints posted publicly on a school's website, which I thought would be useful. They are available publicly for everyone to see and download. The website does not have a notice about not being allowed to use them. I […]
• Baby (Has Finally) Come Home!
  Listen to Bessie SmithDear Rich: I'm trying to determine if a recording of a song from 1923 is in the public domain for use as background music in a film scene. The song is 'Baby Won't You Please Come Home' by Bessie Smith. It was recorded on April 11, 1923, and written by Clarence Williams. […]