phulshof wrote:I think it is a legal grey area. It is questionable one could claim copyright on the sound of each individual pipe or even as a combined group.
This topic has been discussed many times on other lists. Basically there is little to protect the sound of something, even samples. They are not music nor performance, and lack any real legislation that would make it clear how to define it. So basically anything in theory can be sampled. But just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
Why would anybody would desire to sample a Ahlborn sound module in the first place? Sampling a sampled device that is reputed to have sampled another sampled (Allen) instrument is pretty redundant. The cost of Hauptwerk samples of similar specification is reasonable enough that you couldn't begin to afford the microphones, software and hardware.
Along the same lines the Harley Davidson Motorcycle company sued Honda over the sound of their motorcycles. Honda produce a motor with a similar sound as the Harley Davidson had. They battled over this for years, but in the end there was really no law to protect Harley Davidson.