Before I really get started, I feel its important to state that I have no legal background whatsoever and that there is no consensus internationally about how much time needs to elapse before an artistic work can be considered out of copyright.
Just like with many other things on the internet, there are free versions of print music available. Just because they are available doesn’t necessarily mean that they are legal. I have recently researched this topic and I believe that most countries state that the creator of the work, whether it be musical compositions, plays, poetry or novels that the copyright expires around 70 years after the composer / poet / novelist etc has died. Some countries have the time frame as little as 50 years, while a number have the time frame of 80 years.
I am aware that some people are mistaken by thinking that copyright expires based on when the work was created. The time of copyright expiration is taken from the date of the creator’s death, not the date the work was created.
This seems quite simple and straightforward but it can get more complicated with music because the original composition might have the copyright expired, however if it has been adapted into an arrangement, then the copyright might not exist on the original work but still be under copyright because of the arrangement. Sometimes there will be print music that has been ‘edited’ (which sometimes means that fingering has been added). The editing is enough to make the version be under copyright even though the original is not.
To make it worse, sometimes making your own arrangements from an original work is illegal. Probably because I am not a lawyer who specializes in copyright law, I find it rather confusing about what is and isn’t legal.
The way I get around this veritable minefield of what is and isn’t legal is by not downloading free print music from the internet. I just won’t do it because I do want to do the right thing and I don’t want to get caught. Many have countered this argument that the chances of getting caught are minuscule but minuscule doesn’t translate into non existent, besides I have heard the odd story of someone being prosecuted for breaking copyright laws.
I cannot name any websites to steer clear of in this regard, however I would urge caution from printing any print music that was free. Instead, there are a number of reputable websites where you can legally purchase a copy of the music that you are after for a very reasonable cost. At least this way you avoid any potential legal headaches.