searching: is it just me?

Subject: searching: is it just me?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 28 Jul 00 - 11:33 PM

Below there is a thread discussing whether certain songs are public domain or not, and I decided to search the Internet to see how one checks whether a song is copyrighted. So I went to Alta Vista, clicked on Advanced Search, entered this: copyright AND search AND song. These are the results Alta Vista provided:

Cyndi's Geneology Home Page Construction Kit Journal of Neuroscience article Fandom Domain (science fiction site) Lycos Gallery of Wedding Web Pages

Do other people get such nonsense from the Intenet? Aaaargh!

Subject: RE: searching: is it just me?
From: Mbo
Date: 28 Jul 00 - 11:45 PM

Leen, when using Net search engines, it is best to put separate keywords in quotation marks, e.g "copyright" "song". Usually more than two keywords will screw up the search and give you nothing. Also, even going by those 3 keywords, it'll be tough to find what you're looking for. I'd recommend starting a thread, and asking for a site that offers what you are looking for. It would be a lot quicker and less frustrating! Good luck!

--Maat

Subject: RE: searching: is it just me?
From: Catrin
Date: 28 Jul 00 - 11:46 PM

yep!

Subject: Copyright Information
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 08:18 AM

Hi, leeneia - if a song is listed at http://www.ascap.com (ASCAP) or http://www.bmi.com (BMI) or http://www.nmpa.org/hfa.html (The Harry Fox Agency) it probably has a copyright. ASCAP and BMI can give you more information. However, note that the arrangements of many traditional songs were copyrighted, even though the song itself may be in public domain. Also, the Library of Congress http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/rb.html has online information about items copyrighted in the U.S. since 1978. I don't know where to get copyright information for other countries.
You don't want to know how easy it was for me to find these URLs with Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) 5.0. For ASCAP, I put ascap in the "address" window at the top of my browser window, hit <CTRL><ENTER> at the same time, and the browser took me right to www.ascap.com. Same for BMI. I tried HFA for the Harry Fox Agency, but that didn't work. Next, I put the words harry fox agency in the browser address bar, and MSIE took me right to the site. Putting copyright information in the address bar took me to this (click) and other worthwhile sites.
Hope that helps.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: searching: is it just me?
From: kendall
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 08:21 AM

was genealogy misspelled on that web site? or did you do that?

Subject: RE: searching: is it just me?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 08:30 AM

Sharp eyes, Kendall. Actually, though, Cyndi spelled "genealogy" correctly. As a test, I put geneology (spelled wrong) in my browser's address window, and it took me right to a list of genealogy sites. Then I put genealogy (spelled right), and the browser left the Internet took me to the "genealogy" folder on my own computer, since thatwas the closest place where it could find the word spelled correctly. If you don't have a "genealogy" folder on your computer, your browser will probably search the Internet and come up with the same list I got when I spelled the word wrong.
Go figure.
-Joe Offer-