Question regarding copyright information

Hello all. I have a question regarding copyright information. Does anyone know if it is legal to set the poetry of T.S. Eliot, and/or what you have to do if it is necessary to obtain some kind of copyright permission?

I am completing a piece for orchestra and tenor based on a small selection from the last movement of Eliot's "Four Quartets". There is a good possibility it can be performed by my university orchestra and a friend of mine as the tenor soloist, but does a public performance of Eliot's poetry to an original musical setting pose any kind of legal problem I should be aware of?

Thanks for your input.

Blessings

Josh

You should contact his estate, I am an 95% certain that his works are still under copyright.

Since it has not been 70 years since Eliot's death (1965) and they were first published beginning in 1935, it would seem like you DO need some kind of permission.

^Isn't it 70 years since first publication, not 70 years from the artist/author's death?

~Christian

^Isn't it 70 years since first publication, not 70 years from the artist/author's death?

~Christian

Whoops, since it was written in 1935 you're right, but even so it has not been 95 years.

Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States

T.S. Eliott was British, different set o'laws. (IIRC...)

I think the set of laws apply to the person wanting to use the works. It will be different if someone in the UK tried to use the text to someone from Canada. Or have I got this completely wrong? :X

T.S. Eliott was British, different set o'laws. (IIRC...)

He was born in the US though...I was looking at the copyright law section for Americans living abroad. Then again he became a British citizen prior to "Four Quartets."

AUGH! I give up :O

Just contact his estate and go from there. They've fielded such requests before... (Lloyd Webber's "CATS" for example...)

How would I go about getting the contact information for his estate?

I think the set of laws apply to the person wanting to use the works. It will be different if someone in the UK tried to use the text to someone from Canada. Or have I got this completely wrong? :X

I'm almost positive that this is correct. As a U.S. citizen looking to use (potentially) copyrighted works, you abide by the U.S. copyright laws. That's why authors/artists have to go through the whole hoopla of copyrighting their works in different countries.

How would I go about getting the contact information for his estate?

I did a very brief search on the internet and didn't come up with anything. Perhaps a more extensive search would turn something up, or you could go to your local library and see if they have any information.

~Christian