Posted by Depends on December 17, 2003 at 00:11:03:
In Reply to: Re: Beelzebub Band Parts ....Help Please posted by Steve Shoop on December 16, 2003 at 22:51:23:
If you can find a copy of the band arrangement that bears a copyright of 1923 or before, you can copy it with impunity--post it on the web, give copies to your friends, outfit your latrine with it, whatever.
A very common thing for publishers to do is to make minor changes to old pieces and copyright the "new" work. E.g., change the scoring from Db piccolo to C piccolo--presto!--you've got a new work.