As a former professinal photographer I also dealt with the copyright issues. I would like to share my view of the copyright issue that kills fine works. When a book, film or musical recording goes out of print and the radio stations, theaters, DVD pulishers, and printers discontinue production and circulation of the works they are lost to the public. They're locked in a vault somewhere until the owner decides they're no longer neaded or reproduceable from aging and technology advances to be lost forever.
The open sharing of the arts really doesn't defeat the sales of the older material, it actually keeps it in front of the public spurring new and future sales of works that are currently locked in the vaults and unknown to the younger generations.
I feel the copyright laws are out of place. Since an artist usually begins creating their work in their 20s and seldom lives beyond 85 that comes to 65yrs. Why is the copyright in the US good for 95yrs?
I would suggest copyright end with the death of the artist.
Today even the tab and lyrics are being litigated in courts. I feel like the song birds are dying and moving toward extinction.
I have no quams about programs like LimeWire where we can find old recordings and films. I use a couple different software programs that allow me to convert the mp3 music into accurate guitar tabs and sheet music. They also allow me to play the song and insert exact lyrics.
I'm not a professional musician and have no intention of making any money from my efforts, only the pleasure of playing and singing the songs I grew up listening to.
Now if that's illegal and wrong I won't appologize for it.
BTW, have you tried searching the works of an artist called Tiny Tim? He specialized in songs from the vaudvil era.