This article does not exactly mention Prince but we all know he is big on regaining his master recordings. His first release was in 1978, right? This article mentions a law that was created to give back master recordings to the creative artist. I hope this happens for Prince.

Record Industry Braces for Artists’ Battles Over Song Rights

By LARRY ROHTER

Since their release in 1978, hit albums like Bruce Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” Billy Joel’s “52nd Street,” the Doobie Brothers’ “Minute by Minute,” Kenny Rogers’s “Gambler” and Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove” have generated tens of millions of dollars for record companies. But thanks to a little-noted provision in United States copyright law, those artists — and thousands more — now have the right to reclaim ownership of their recordings, potentially leaving the labels out in the cold...

http://www.nytimes.com/20...;seid=auto

klick

Prince discussed reversion of the rights to use of the master recordings in accordance with this legislation over 10 years ago.

He owns the master recordings themselves.

Nobody really knows. Now and then Prince claims to be getting his rights back year after year, and maybe it's true, maybe it's just something Larry Graham told him. Either way, nobody knows for sure other than Prince, his old managers, and some people at Warner Records, and none of them are talking.

jpnyc said:

Nobody really knows. Now and then Prince claims to be getting his rights back year after year, and maybe it's true, maybe it's just something Larry Graham told him. Either way, nobody knows for sure other than Prince, his old managers, and some people at Warner Records, and none of them are talking.

Kind of funny as it didnt seem too long ago when thats all he ever talked about. Masters this, masters that.

i had heard it was 30 years and he was gradually getting them back. 1999 next year and Purple Rain in a couple of years. already has rights to his first few albums but this article says 35 years and no mention of Prince.

I'm not too worried about it, whats he gonna do with them anyway? he'll make more money but will we see any new masters or recordings? remember 1999: the new master? ugh.

klick2me said:

This article does not exactly mention Prince but we all know he is big on regaining his master recordings. His first release was in 1978, right? This article mentions a law that was created to give back master recordings to the creative artist. I hope this happens for Prince.

It's basic common knowledge that he'll legally get his masters back. It's just the basic copyright law. So, what are you talking about?

langebleu said:

Prince discussed reversion of the rights to use of the master recordings in accordance with this legislation over 10 years ago.

He owns the master recordings themselves.

i doubt that

^reading the article the record execs may delay delay and further delay things by dragging things through the courts...

I don't know if this will affect Prince the same as other artists...depends on how he renegotiated things in '92...as I understand it though he will own the masters, and in fact does for a few albums already...

will be interesting to see what he has planned...if anything....

This article has already been posted a million times.

The difference between a naive artist and an experienced one... the smart artist will make sure they own legal rights to all their music.

The RIAA needs to die a quick and painful death. It's an antiquated organization that only benefits the rights of the music corporations, not of the musicians. They would love the whole country to go back to the pre-digital age so they could control where music is played, and for how much money.

I think he said to a couple of fans that he already has For You and Prince masters. This would seem to explain the reason for the vinyl reissues that have just been released starting at Dirty Mind

I wish some people would read before they post.

The article says it all really. And there have been loads of threads about this issue on the org.

Anybody who doubts Prince is trying to get his rights back, can bet their purple ass that he is.

He spoke about this himself very clearly a long time ago already.

Now before everybody goes and talk even more myths, here are FACTS:

The statutory termination date is 35 years after transferring the rights. NOT 30 years.

It applies to all authors of a copyrighted work, including recording artists and sound recordings.

It does not apply to works created before january 1st 1978 and it is only valid in the US.

In 2013 there is going to be a WAR in the (US) music industry over this rule.

There will be legal battles flying all over the place, because this is about the music moguls bread and butter vs many established recording artists wishing to regain control over their work.

Record companies will claim that all the recordings they released are "works for hire". But most of them are not and so the record companies are going to lose that war by and large.

As for Prince: he IS going to get HIS rights back to the recordings he made for WB, one by one, starting in 2013 with For You.

BUT that does NOT mean that Prince is the only one who will be able to get his rights back. Recordings and compositions/lyrics of songs other artists contributed to, are subject to the same rule.

And WB will not let go easily. They will deem it to be in their interest to hold on as long and as much as they can. And they may have some more contractual tricks up their sleeve. A court battle is therefore not unlikely. However, since they will likely lose, it will not be in their interest to let that come to a ruling. Therefore they will probably drag it as long as they can and in the meantime keep on trying to come to a (new) agreement.

[Edited 8/16/11 15:42pm]