How far is midi copyrighted?

[subtractor]

If you use tracks from a midi song or songs that are copyrighted and mix them together to make new music running through different type of instruments. So that basically you are borrowing the recorded piano rolls and making something completely different, is that copyright infringement?

[knightfly]

Pretty sure it is. You can't legally copy sheet music, and who's to say what instrument it will be played on, even if it's written for cello or kazoo?

I think there's also a time limit, below which the rules change - seems like it was 30 seconds, but don't remember for sure -

"This bit of useless trivia, complete with all inaccuracies, brought to you by da Knightfly... Steve

[Blue Bear Sound]

The media or format or instrument DOESN'T MATTER -- it's the MELODY (not melody as in singing, but the arrangement of the notes) that gets the copyright.