Harald Mueller said:

> Not being good arrangers, they try to use modern technologies like
> scanning, but also conversion of (non-organ) MIDI files downloaded from
> the Internet or simply getting hold of others' arranged MIDI files.

But that is not archival music roll scanning -- that is using MIDI
files for improper and often illegal purposes.

If we follow the current ethics model used for CDs, it would be legal
to scan any roll you own for archival purposes and use it to produce
a personal "backup copy" of the roll in case of damage.

If the original is still under copyright, then it is illegal to provide
copies of either the roll or the scanned file to any others, although
perhaps not for certain academic uses.

If the copyright has expired, or if the roll's author did not properly
secure copyright, then the roll itself should be "fair game," although
payment to the original composer may still be in order if the original
copyright on the score has been renewed. I suspect a lot of the files
in circulation are in this category.

Wallace Venable