Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Please do not forget, Richard, that copyright laws are different in different countries. A Room With a View is indeed in the public domain in the US, but nowhere else in the world, since Forster only died in 1970. It is only the US's unique law that pre-1923 works are PD regardless of the date of the author's death that places it in the public domain in the US. For you or I, living in the UK, A Room With a View is very much under copyright protection and will remain so until 1st Jan 2051.
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Harry, copyright is a legal quagmire, a dog's breakfast, and its ability to protect the income of creators is rapidly diminishing. Unless you are extremely rich already, or have the backing of a publisher with deep pockets, the chances of your successfully prosecuting a case of copyright infringement are approximately zero.
But I agree with you. As individuals we have a responsibility to respect copyright, for without it, at present, there would be no way for authors, musicians, and the like to make a living -- however meagre.