Susan Fontaine Godwin is an educator and long-time member of the worship community with 24 years of experience in the Christian music industry, church copyright administration & copyright management. Her mission is to help Christian organizations be fully copyright compliant through administration, consultation & education. Her passion is to build bridges between copyright owners and users of their content. She is affectionately known as the Copyright Queen. "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" spans a remarkable bridge of 235 years, blending four centuries of worshipers--Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Edwin Othello Excell, John Newton, and John P. Rees.
The adaptation of public domain works presents today's songwriters with an amazing gift and opportunity to retool ancient prose into relevant and revived songs for today's congregations. But who owns these adaptations, and how does the US Copyright office view these modified works?
"Public domain comprises the body of knowledge and innovation (especially creative works such as writing, art, music, and inventions) in relation to which no person or other legal entity can establish or maintain proprietary interests within a particular legal jurisdiction. This body of information and creativity is considered to be part of a common cultural and intellectual heritage, which, in general, anyone may use or exploit, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes." (Definition from Wikipedia)
Since anyone may use or promote public domain works, songwriters have tremendous freedom to revise, add, deduct--changing the lyrics and keeping the original music, setting old lyrics to new music, adding new verses or choruses, even combining two public domain songs. Of course, adaptations aren't limited to hymns or songs; writers may want set a poem or prose to original music, or even base on a song on a literary work or story.
What are some of the publishing and copyright dynamics when adapting or using ancient traditional creative works, such as hymns, that are in the public domain? Click here for complete article.