Quote:
Originally Posted by kennyc
I'm not sure I believe that but don't want to take the time to research it.
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In the Netherlands, this would be a derivative work. The main condition to put the derivative work under your copyright is that this work must add enough new creative content.
Just taking all texts of Author X, slamming them into a file and writing "The complete works of Author X" on the cover won't be enough. That won't give you copyright on that work.
However, if you painstakingly create a very nice new layout, add annotations and footnotes, add an introduction, create a nice cover for it...in short, you're adding enough of your own stuff, then you will certainly have copyright on that work.
At least you do in the Netherlands.
Granted, I was assuming that the OP did create an actual ebook, and did not just smash the Gutenberg texts into one file, put a cover on it and be done with it.