Exploring the intricate copyright saga of Ravel's Bolero

Ravel's Bolero, a heavily performed classical piece, generated around $100 billion in royalties. The complex copyright journey began with Ravel's death in 1937, leading the rights through a web of individuals to eventually rest with Eveline Pender Castell. Although the piece entered the public domain in 2016 under French law, a legal battle was sparked in 2018. Pender Castell contended that Bolero was a collaborative work, not solely Ravel's. She claimed the copyright should extend until 2051, as one of the supposed collaborators passed away in 1972. The lawsuit against Sassem, France's musical copyright agency, is pending in a French court, with the final decision expected on June 24th.