America the Beautiful

The sound recording of "America the Beautiful" by The U.S. Army TRADOC Band, fixed in 1960, falls under federal protection as mandated by the Music Modernization Act (MMA). Specifically, it is covered by 17 U.S.C. § 1401(a)(2)(D), which grants federal copyright protection to sound recordings fixed between January 1, 1957, and February 14, 1972. Prior to the MMA's passage, these 'pre-1972' recordings were generally protected only by state common law or statutes, leading to a patchwork of rights and enforcement challenges. The MMA harmonized these protections by bringing them under federal law. Because this particular recording was fixed in 1960, it squarely fits within the specified timeframe for this provision. As a result of this MMA rule, the sound recording of "America the Beautiful" by The U.S. Army TRADOC Band is protected by federal copyright until February 15, 2067. This means that any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, performance, or other use of this specific recording prior to that date would constitute copyright infringement under federal law. The U.S. Army TRADOC Band, as a federal entity, typically creates works as 'works of the U.S. Government,' which are generally not subject to copyright in the U.S. for the government itself. However, the MMA's federalization of pre-1972 sound recordings applies broadly, protecting the *recording* from unauthorized commercial exploitation by third parties, irrespective of the original creator's copyright status, as the law focuses on the act of fixation and the rights of the copyright owner (if one exists beyond the government for specific uses).