Quote:
Originally Posted by Billi
I understand it for authors like Chandler, Hammett or Hemingway, who are now PD in life+50 countries but not in their home one, but why apply this to Canadian or Australian authors who only enjoy the life+50 protection???
|
Because the copyright applies not to the authors, but to the works, and to the downloaders/sellers/etc. That is, even if the works of a Canadian author are copyright-free in Canada, they may still be protected in, say, Germany or Switzerland (and the publisher who holds the rights in those countries may care). In other words, it is often the case that the home country of the author (or the country where the work was originally published) doesn't matter at all.