|
Based on your IP address, your paper is being delivered by:
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
New York, USA
Processing request.
|
Illinois, USA
Processing request.
|
Brussels, Belgium
Processing request.
|
Seoul, Korea
Processing request.
|
California, USA
Processing request.
|
If you have any problems downloading this paper,
please click on another Download Location above, or
File name: SSRN-id1336802. ; Size: 441K
|
|
The Emergence of Musical Copyright in Europe from 1709 to 1850
Frederic M. Scherer
Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)
December 20, 2008
Review of Economic Research on Copyright Issues, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 3-18, 2008
Abstract:
This paper, written for a conference of the Society for Economic Research on Copyright Issues, explores the history of copyright protection for musical compositions. The first modern copyright law did not cover musical works. The role of Johann Christian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Johann Neopmuk Hummel in securing legal changes is traced. How Giuseppe Verdi exploited the new copyright law in Northern Italy is analyzed. The paper argues that Verdi, enriched by copyright protection, reduced his compositional effort along a backward-bending supply curve. However, his good fortune may have had a demonstration effect inducing other talented individuals to become composers. An attempt to determine the impact of legal changes on entry into composing is inconclusive. The paper shows, however, that a golden age of musical composition nevertheless occurred in nations that lacked copyright protection for musical works.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 16
Keywords: Copyright, music, economic history
Accepted Paper Series
Download This Paper
Date posted: February 3, 2009
Suggested CitationScherer, Frederic M., The Emergence of Musical Copyright in Europe from 1709 to 1850 (December 20, 2008). Review of Economic Research on Copyright Issues, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 3-18, 2008. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1336802
|
| Feedback to SSRN (Beta) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
