Hey All,

Does anyone know if the children's song "Pop Goes The Weasel" is Public Domain? I just recorded a version of it, but if it's copyrighted still, I'm going to dump it.

Thanks in advance,

Ern

Well, according this this article on Wikipedia the song is from the mid-1800's. Also corroborating this is a book of mine which is a very large collection of folksongs published by Hal Leonard. The book gives no copyright to the song, and simply refers to it as an English round.

I.m pretty sure it's Public Domain Ern.


Written or © 1853 from what I can tell.


HTH


Michael.

Michael is correct according to http://www.pdinfo.com/list.php

"Pop Goes The Weasel" IS public domain, and the site gives away all the others too

Hey, that's a great website! I'm bookmarking it. That's for sharing!

Gang,

Great website - thanks much - I think I'll bookmark it too!

Hi Ern,

Yes, "Pop Goes The Weasel" is PD. We've recorded several versions for music libraries and researched it carefully.

The way to REALLY make sure? Register the song title with your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC). Believe us, they will REJECT it if it's not absolutely, positively PD. You can't always go by the original copyright date or even the public domain websites, unfortunately (as we found out from experience!!!).

Three examples of NON-PD SONGS PEOPLE THINK ARE PD:

1) There's a familiar holiday song called "Skater's Waltz," written in 1882. BUT, the copyright was renewed by a publishing company (circa 1950s), so it is no longer in the public domain.

2) The well-kown hymn, "How Great Thou Art" was written in 1885. Manna Music Inc. renewed the copyright around the later 1950s, so it is NOT PD.

3) Last, and the most famous non-pd song that everyone thinks is PD, is "Happy Birthday." We can't tell you how many times we come across this song on music library websites that think it's PD. Big mistake.

Then there are dozens of popular Christmas tunes like "White Christmas," "Sleigh Ride," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," etc., that are not PD but people assume they are. Publishers have been on a war path lately suing for copyright infringement.

So, again, just register the song with your PRO and you'll find out either way.

Good luck!

~ Tracey & Vance Marino

I always wondered why when I went to Chevy's or some place like that, they always did some stupid chant instead of singing "Happy Birthday" and then it dawned on me: They probably got dinged by the PROs for performance royalties for "Happy Birthday" so they have their servers do those chants that they cooked up instead. I wonder if they publish the chants and collect performance royalties for them! Shhh, don't tell them!!

BTW: Thanks for all your great assistance, T&V, you guys are quickly becoming gurus in this stuff!! Very cool!!

I think this chanting happens, in part, because some restaurant chains have been moving to direct licensing from blanket 'jukebox' style licensing as a way to better control the customer's dining experience, and in some cases, to save $.