"THE SONG IS ENDED BUT THE MELODY LINGERS ON": PROTECTING THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK IN THE FACE OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

This paper argues that the U.S. Congress should not extend the duration of music copyright following the expiration of the Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) and emphasizes the need for Congress to introduce safeguards into the public domain to protect the legacies of the composers of the "Great American Songbook." Topics covered include framework of music copyright law, history of the CTEA and suggestion for a public domain that would better protect cultural music history.