Variations on Akatombo. Composed by Haruna Miyake.
It appears to have been published under this title as well, but would it really infringe the right of attribution under moral rights if it did not say something like “Variations on the Theme of Akatombo, Composed by Kosaku Yamada”? Or should it be “Composed by Kosaku Yamada, arranged by Haruna Miyake”?
Hmm, perhaps that is how it works under Japanese copyright law.
But it is completely outside classical-music convention, isn’t it? However you look at it, this should surely be regarded as a composition by Haruna Miyake.
Ultimately, I think the theme of a set of variations is a “quotation.” That is true even in strict variations, and still more so in free variations.
Will someone somewhere establish an appropriate precedent?
What? What if it goes the other way instead?!
Well, that is a fair point. The music copyright association and the like should coordinate and bring a case once. I think it would be worthwhile.
Really, as in Italy, the status of variations and similar works ought to be properly defined.
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