I had read that some foreign performing rights organizations (such as BMI) entrust the deposit of musical pieces to libraries, so I tried to understand if this service might also be available in Italy. The result seems interesting to me, because this law recently came into force: http://it.wikisource.org/wiki/Legge_15_aprile_2004,_n.106_-_Deposito_legale
In practice, both a musical score and the content of a phonographic medium can legally be deposited and archived at our National Library of Rome, the central one in Florence, and others. Considering the limitations of online storage sites and the inconveniences of sending the famous registered letter, it seems to me a matter worth exploring a bit... What do you think?
If I haven't understood correctly, it is now the Ministry of Cultural Heritage (through the libraries) that takes charge of the legal deposit, while SIAE is only (or almost) responsible for the redistribution of royalties among members. This should mean that it no longer makes sense to register with SIAE solely for the protection of musical works.
It seems increasingly interesting to discuss this.
I didn't quite understand how the number of repertoire pieces will then be managed for the eventual "settlement" of rights... practically, one must register with SIAE (or equivalent) only in the case where a piece will definitely have a performance.
A this point, just one piece performed in a lifetime is enough to pay the duty... so either you are a composer who is never performed (making you a composer?) or if you are performed... we're stuck...
Maybe I misunderstood something, but the law might only slightly shift the "problem"
I didn't quite understand how the number of repertoire pieces will then be managed for the eventual "settlement" of rights... practically, one must register with SIAE (or equivalent) only in the case where a piece will definitely have a performance.
A single piece performed in a lifetime is enough to pay the tax at this point... so either you are a composer who is never performed (making you a composer?) or if you are performed... we're stuck...
Maybe I misunderstood something, but the law might only slightly shift the "problem"
The settlement of rights died a long time ago because now, as is well known, it is carried out "on a sample basis"; therefore, in the case I was referring to, the issue might interest those who are primarily concerned with proving the authorship of a piece, not those hoping to receive royalties from the authors' society. The piece is registered, cataloged, and available for consultation without particular complications. In this view, one can deposit a piece not with SIAE, but with the legal deposit managed directly by the Ministry and organized at the aforementioned libraries.
In any case, I called this evening and discovered (to my great disappointment) that it is indeed exactly like that, but you have to pay (listen to this...) as much as two revenue stamps of 16 euros each for each deposit, which makes this prospect much less convenient compared to staying with SIAE. In short, the alternative is the usual Italian thing: it's not worth it. Furthermore, there is the fact that one must prove an actual performance of the deposited work; when I asked "and if I put it on YouTube", the clerk politely replied that "it is a controversial issue" and they are discussing it in some whatnot commission...
A this point, since SIAE no longer holds exclusivity anyway, it remains to be seen whether the legal deposit functions are carried out by some private institution, i.e., not directly connected to SIAE... It should be noted that there are already lawyers organizing themselves to propose both a legal deposit service and eventual legal protection assistance. Personally, I feel like looking into that as well, but at this point perhaps it is simpler to switch to BMI or SGAE and goodnight to the musicians (at least in my case since, as I am not named Gino Paoli or Claudio Baglioni, there is no way of seeing a single euro from the performance of my works...).
Hi, I am following up on the post to report this other opportunity that I wasn't aware of (I hope it isn't banned as advertising, it is not my intention), which I would like to discuss; the novelty of this online certification system consists of the fact that the piece to be protected is not sent, but remains certified on one's own computer. I don't know, what do you think? Do you know other sites that provide these services? Have any of you ever used them? https://www.primoautore.it/site/domande
"the duration of protection (timestamp) is 10 years"
in the end, I think it's a "common" file hashing system, delivered via a Java applet.
Conceptually it holds up, if the company has its paperwork in order to do this job and act as a guarantor in case of disputes.....but does the service have a cost? (I only read the FAQs quickly)
The cost is 3 euros per track, I don't think there is anything else. I believe that protection, with this type of system, cannot be unlimited in time. There are others who propose "eternity", let's say, but in effect it doesn't seem possible to me. Anyway, I think the trademark can always be renewed. You just have to register the same track after nine years, right?...
You write about a "common hashing system", I am not an IT expert and I hadn't found anything like it until now. Do you know others?
I was referring more to the marking technique than to its use in this field. Anyway, I understand what you mean; practically it costs 3 euros every 10 years for each piece (plus any potential cost revaluation over time).
Hash algorithms, particularly SHA1 and MD5, are widely used in the field of computer forensics to validate and in a sense digitally "sign" acquired data, typically forensic copies. In fact, recent legislation imposes a chain of custody that allows for the preservation of digital evidence from any modifications following acquisition: through hash codes, it is possible at any time to verify that what was recorded has remained unchanged over time. If the hash codes match, both parties in a legal proceeding are certain that they can work on the same version of the evidence, thus guaranteeing uniformity of analysis and generally of results. Hash code results are now calculated by default by most forensic acquisition software and attached to the saved forensic copies.
