Ethnomusicological Archives and Copyright Issues: an Italian Case Study

This paper adds a piece to the puzzle of the complex balance between diffusion and legal restraints in the management of oral archives. We focus on the Caterina Bueno Italian ethnomusicological archive, which is being processed by the Archivio Vi.Vo. project and represents a challenging case study in terms of protection of the original informants, the author of the arrangements and the other performers. In particular, the paper expounds problems and partial solutions related to authorship, the fixation of the musical performance, its reproduction, diffusion and the compensation for subsequent uses. Overall, the paper aims to promote awareness on legal protection while defusing the apprehension of potential obstacles and dampening excessive risk aversion in the diffusion of oral materials.