German Distributor Stops Selling Bob Dylan's Album

A German distributor can no longer sell two early albums by U.S. singer-songwriter Bob Dylan as the rights are owned by Japan's Sony, the European Union's top court ruled today (January 20).

Falcon Neue Medien distributes the two albums, 'Blowin' in the Wind' and 'Gates of Eden', featuring famous tracks such as 'The Times They Are A-Changin'' and 'Highway 61 Revisited'.

Sony, which acquired the rights to the albums, argued Falcon should be stopped from selling them in Germany.
But Falcon said Germany and the United States signed a music copyright convention that took effect only from the start of 1966, after the two albums were originally released.

Sony dismissed this, saying because of a rule in another EU state, Britain, that protects albums released before 1966, this protection is extended across the bloc under EU copyright rules.

The European Court of Justice said protection provided by EU copyright rules "is also applicable... where the subject matter at issue has not at any time been protected in the member state in which the protection is sought."