CRITICAL EDITIONS: MUSICOLOGISTS AND COPYRIGHT.

The work of the musicologist on a critical edition has recently come under scrutiny with the recent court decision in favor of Lionel Sawkins against Hyperion Records. Dr. Gossett takes this opportunity to examine the role of the critical edition, its standing in the musical, musicological, and legal communities, and asks for a reconsideration of the importance of the critical edition in informing our knowledge of the past. Scholars and publishers need to be able to recoup their investments in works that benefit historical preservation and this is aided by countries which are beginning to grant specific protection for critical editions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]