Printed music and copyright: legislative restrictions and new perspectives for digitization

Abstract

The article provides a concise copyright handbook for printed music for librarians who have to deal with musical funds or documents containing musical notations. What are the differences between printed music and other publishing products? Which instruments are available in order to avoid any copyright violation by the librarian that has to manage sheet music and scores? The author takes stock of the Italian and European laws on the subject and focuses on how current regulations affect libraries and librarians, trying to identify possible options for the digital dissemination of printed music within the confines of the law.