[Fmpro] FMPRO Digest, Vol 22, Issue 1

[Kevin Mathie]

Hi. I'm a fairly long-time lurker, and have rarely posted. However, I  
have a question I hope you all can answer.

A colleague of mine who produces live events has been successfully  
producing a show that utilizes numerous public domain songs. However,  
some of the arrangements his musical director uses come from one  
particular CD, so I'm sure those arrangements are copyrighted by the  
arrangers. Complicating the matter, the CD itself is a compilation of  
arrangements from different artists. So, each song has a different  
set of arrangers.

Of course, my producer friend has dutifully paid ASCAP/BMI for the  
right to perform these arrangements -- not that it's done the  
arrangers any good, I'm sure, since I doubt they've ever seen a  
penny. However, his show is pretty popular in our area, and he's  
considering making a CD of it. Since most of the songs are public  
domain, arranged by his musical director, most of the songs will be  
free and clear for him. However, since a few songs are based on  
arrangements from other people, he needs to track down the copyright  
owners of those arrangements.

So, my question is, what is the best way to do this? Does he need to  
contact the record company directly? Would ASCAP/BMI have a listing  
for arrangers? I talked to him yesterday, and he said that he tried  
doing the research on ASCAP, and could only find one of the songs.  
The other 6 or 8 weren't there.

Is this something the Harry Fox Agency can help out on?

Thanks for your help.
Kevin