The Hanging Tree

This sound recording of "The Hanging Tree" by Uriah Heep, released in 2002, is currently protected under US copyright law. Under the Music Modernization Act (MMA), specifically 17 U.S.C. § 1401(a)(2)(A), sound recordings fixed on or after February 15, 1972, are granted federal copyright protection for a term equivalent to that of other federal copyrights. For works made for hire, such as most commercially released sound recordings, this term is 95 years from the date of first publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever expires first. Given the 2002 release date, this recording falls squarely within this provision. Since the sound recording was fixed and released in 2002, it is considered a relatively recent work in the context of copyright law. Its protection extends for 95 years from that publication date, meaning it will remain protected until 2097. This ensures that the rights holders, typically the record label and/or the band, maintain exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and perform the sound recording publicly during this period. It is important to note that this analysis pertains solely to the copyright of the *sound recording* itself. The underlying musical composition (the song's melody and lyrics) may be subject to a separate copyright, usually held by the songwriters or their publishers, and its protection term might differ based on when the composition was created and its authors' lifespan.