Copyright overkill

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Haruo's picture

I must say that I do not trust Manna Music when it claims copyright. Not only are they responsible for what I consider the outright theft of Carl Boberg's hymn "O store Gud" and the duplicitous assertion that Stuart Hine both wrote (as opposed to translated and/or adapted) the most commonly sung English version ("How Great Thou Art") of that text and composed (as opposed to arranged) the anonymous Swedish folk tune to which it is sung, but they are also bold enough to claim copyright in the text of the first stanza of "ALLELUIA (Sinclair)". I am willing to believe (but not at all certain) that Sinclair actually composed that melody, but I don't think anyone can or should be encouraged to think they can claim copyright in any number of reiterations of the word "Alleluia!"!!

I just got done entering the full text of the instance at NewSoI10 #1 and I very intentionally did not check the box saying the full text cannot be displayed due to copyright. I don't think anybody can copyright Scriven's text (which is the second stanza here), and I'm not aware of any evidence that Sinclair (or anybody else at Manna) actually wrote any of the other stanzas. I think it would be sinful to check that box. A venial sin, perhaps, but still...

Thanks, just had to vent.

PS: The full text for the instance of this Alleluia in the gray Psalter Hymnal (#640) is incorrect. It duplicates #639 (the Taizé version), showing six alleluias, where Sinclair has eight.