Re: Mutations and imitations

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From: Eric S. Theise (mataro@cyberwerks.com)
Date: 08/19/02-03:54:08 PM Z


Galina Manikova writes:
> There has been a funny programme on the radio here today about a case in
> England where two companies are quarrelling about the copyrights for a music
> line called "silence" (which is a line of complete silence on the record, no
> sound at all). Who owns the silence, they asked. Two different people seam
> to want the rights (John Cage and one more, I do not remember the name). A
> lot of money involved.

This has been discussed on Silence, the Cage list. See

    http://www.andante.com/magazine/article.cfm?id=17428

for a more complete explanation of what happened. The composer listed
Cage as co-composer on a CD track, and the royalties people behaved
accordingly. I suspect it was a clever publicity stunt on the part of
the living composer, but in any case, there are conventions in music
(and the other arts) for creating tributes and hommages, and I will
argue that giving yourself equal billing with your inspiration is not
one of them.

--Eric


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