Public Domain Day 2013

[HarryT]

We (at MR) do need to understand it and (as you've seen from this thread) we still get it wrong even though we deal with this stuff every day.

[pdurrant]

It is unbelievably complex, although that is mainly because of the weird and wonderful changes to copyright law in different countries at different times.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/years/1942.htm

That's a list of who was born in 1942. It is not who died in 1942.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's a list of who was born in 1942. It is not who died in 1942.

Scroll down. There's a list of authors who died in 1942 at the bottom.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's a list of who was born in 1942. It is not who died in 1942.

Scroll down the page.

[JD Gumby]

Originally Posted by jersysman

I wonder how these world governments expect people to understand all of these copyright laws.

They don't. Remember, these laws are for the benefit of corporations, not authors. And complex copyright laws means more chances to catch those who don't understand them and siphon more money than is deserved from their wallets into the hands of publishers/broadcasters and lawyers (bet you won't, for example, find a single band that's gotten any money out of the various successful copyright lawsuits and settlements aimed at downloaders).

[Quackersnmilk]

nothing expired to go to public domain for the US for this year? Weren't books published that year? I guess this would be 70 yrs ago?

[HarryT]

No new works will enter the public domain until 1st Jan 2019.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Quackersnmilk

nothing expired to go to public domain for the US for this year? Weren't books published that year? I guess this would be 70 yrs ago?

It's because of the weird US copyright laws. Anything published before 1923 is out of copyright. Some things published from 1923 to 1963 are already out of copyright. But anything still in copyright has a copyright term of 95 years or more, so nothing that's currently copyright in the US will fall into the public domain until 1st January 2019. And then, everything published in 1923 become public domain.

This continues until 2073. On 1st January 2073, everything published in the US in 1977 falls into the public domain.

After after 2073, the US is pretty much on the life+70 rules.

Life+70 rules will cause some US works to fall into the public domain in the years 2048 onwards as well. In fact, on 1st January 2048, works by authors who died before 1978 but which were published in 1978 and later fall into the public domain.

This leads to a small anomaly. If an author died in (say) 1977, a book published in 1977 would be in copyright until 1st January 2073, but a book published posthumously in 1978 would fall out of copyright on 1st January 2048.

Of course, I very much expect that US copyright laws will change again before much of this comes to pass.

http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm for more details.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It's because of the weird US copyright laws. Anything published before 1923 is out of copyright. Some things published from 1923 to 1963 are already out of copyright. But anything still in copyright has a copyright term of 95 years or more, so nothing that's currently copyright in the US will fall into the public domain until 1st January 2019. And then, everything published in 1923 become public domain.

This continues until 2073. On 1st January 2073, everything published in the US in 1977 falls into the public domain.

After after 2073, the US is pretty much on the life+70 rules.

Life+70 rules will cause some US works to fall into the public domain in the years 2048 onwards as well. In fact, on 1st January 2048, works by authors who died before 1978 but which were published in 1978 and later fall into the public domain.

This leads to a small anomaly. If an author died in (say) 1977, a book published in 1977 would be in copyright until 1st January 2073, but a book published posthumously in 1978 would fall out of copyright on 1st January 2048.

Of course, I very much expect that US copyright laws will change again before much of this comes to pass.

http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm for more details.

It still amazes me that our politicians, in the name of making things easier, can screw them up and make them incomprehensible. Or was this deliberate and helped put more money in their pockets? You decide.
Apache

[jersysman]

Originally Posted by Apache

It still amazes me that our politicians, in the name of making things easier, can screw them up and make them incomprehensible. Or was this deliberate and helped put more money in their pockets? You decide.
Apache

It had to be some money involved. That's the only thing that moves these modern politicians. Principles sure isn't one of them anymore!

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by jersysman

It had to be some money involved. That's the only thing that moves these modern politicians. Principles sure isn't one of them anymore!

Lots and lots of money....Look at the MAFIAA campaign contributions....

That was the horror of the SOPA blocking - all those politician didn't stay bought. Didn't they know they were being paid to fall on their swords whenever needed?