06-07-2010, 03:35 PM | #1 |
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Copyrights on translations
Another question about copyrights in the US. I'm interested in doing an epub on a work first published in 1837 in French. There is an English translation published in the late 1960s, and I wondered if that translation has the same copyrights as a newly written book?
My feeling is that perhaps it does have copyrights but on the other hand, the translation is not really an original work - it required knowledge of French and of the subject matter, but given those requirements a large number of people could create a similar translation with only a relatively small differences between translations by different translators. Thus, little originality and no claim to copyright(?) I'd apreciate your help on this. Bob |
06-07-2010, 04:30 PM | #2 | |
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Quote:
But anyway, translations do have their own copyright. There's also the copyright of the original work to be considered.* Any translation made in the 1960s is almost certainly still in copyright everywhere. * It's even possible for a translation to be out of copyright, but for the original to still be in copyright, and so any publication of the translation would require permission (& payment) to the holder of the copyright of the original. Of course, it's more common the other way around. |
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06-07-2010, 04:44 PM | #3 |
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06-07-2010, 05:58 PM | #4 |
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06-07-2010, 07:30 PM | #5 | |
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Especially in literature a good translator doesn't only translate the literality, but captures the spirit of the text, the atmosphere, the wit, whatever you may call it. And that definitely is a creative work in itself. So, yup, a translation has its own copyright. Yours as well, if you're going to translate that book. |
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06-07-2010, 09:00 PM | #6 |
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Thanks for the rapid replies! They clear up all my uncertainty about translations.
Bob |
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