pie jeus

The sound recording for "Pie Jesu" by Loyd Weber, assuming it is a contemporary recording, faces an 'UNCERTAIN' status under the Music Modernization Act (MMA). The MMA, specifically 17 U.S.C. § 1401, establishes clear terms for sound recordings, largely based on their date of fixation. Specifically, recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, received federal protection under the MMA, with terms ranging from 95 to 120 years depending on their publication status and if renewed. However, without a known date of fixation for Loyd Weber's specific recording of "Pie Jesu," it's impossible to apply these rules. This uncertainty means we cannot definitively determine whether the recording falls into the public domain or is protected under federal copyright law. Lloyd Weber is a relatively modern composer and cellist, and if this recording is of his performance or arrangement, it is likely a relatively recent fixation. For all sound recordings fixed on or after February 15, 1972, their copyright term is generally governed by the 1976 Copyright Act. However, the MMA extended federal protection to pre-1972 recordings which, prior to the MMA, were protected solely under state common law or statutes. Therefore, if Loyd Weber's recording is recent, it would fall directly under federal copyright as an 'original work of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression' (17 U.S.C. § 102). The absence of a fixation year for this particular recording is a critical missing piece of information for a precise MMA determination.