Taxi Driver

The sound recording for "Taxi Driver" by Gentleman Bobby Benson, first released on May 25, 2012, is protected under federal copyright law in the United States. This determination is based on the Music Modernization Act (MMA), specifically its provisions concerning recordings fixed on or after February 15, 1972. The MMA, codified in 17 U.S.C. § 1401, extended federal copyright protection to pre-1972 sound recordings and clarified the status of recordings fixed from that date forward. Since "Taxi Driver" was fixed and first released in 2012, it clearly falls into the category of recordings made well after the February 15, 1972, cutoff. This means the recording immediately received federal copyright protection upon its creation and fixation. As a result, it enjoys the full term of protection afforded to post-1972 works, which for works made for hire (common in record label contexts) is 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever comes first. This federal protection ensures that the owner of the sound recording copyright – likely the record label responsible for its release, such as the now-defunct Mr Bongo Records or similar independent labels that release reggae/dancehall – has exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform publicly (via digital audio transmission), and create derivative works from this specific recording. Any unauthorized use of the sound recording, such as sampling or direct re-recording, without a license from the copyright holder, would constitute infringement.