A court in Nanterre has decided: Maurice Ravel's Bolero was written by the composer alone, and so remains in the public domain.
The verdict follows a years-long struggle between France's Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (SACEM), and the heirs of stage designer Alexandre Benois, who claim that Ravel wrote Bolero collaboratively with Benois, and that the work must be returned to the private domain.
Ravel's most popular composition-said to be played every fifteen minutes around the world-premiered in 1928 to such great success, that it overshadows the other works that came in Ravel's remaining nine years. With European copyright running 70 years, plus several more years to compensate for losses in the Second World War, Bolero entered the public domain in 2016.
SACEM rejected the claim, however, and the Benois' estate brought their claim to court. The court has since decided that the claim of Benois' co-authorship was based on "historical fiction," citing a 1929 document signed by Ravel as the sole composer so the work "consequently remains in the public domain."
The representatives of the Benois Estate said they will appeal the decision.