[Christien]

Copyright on a work expires 50 years after the creator (author, composer) dies. The tricky area is that "editorial markings" can have renewed copyrights. Publishers can renew their copyright on a book, which would prevent someone from literally photocopying it, but you could, say, type it out yourself and distribute it freely if the author's more than 50 years in the ground. I learned this with music where, for example, a Beethoven sonata may have no copyright on the actual notes and rhythms, but editors who add their own fingerings, bowings, phrase markings or dynamic markings would have a copyright on those edits.

I'm sure lawyers will find a way to control copyright on popular music long after 50 years post-death of the band members/songwriters, but I don't think any recordings have reached that age yet.