Quote:
Originally Posted by SleepyBob
Except when I wrote the book, copyright said that I had control over its distribution until after I was dead. You want to change the rules on me, and increase my "dues".
Copyright also protects unpublished works. Should someone be able to publish the journals I kept once they become 25 years old?
And how do you deal with me re-publishing the book after 24 years and charging $5,000 a copy? Are you going to also put maximum prices on what people can charge for books?
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You misunderstand me. I never said or meant that the copyright holder could not use copyright to prevent a book being produced and distributed during the period of copyright, whatever the period. If they are later embarrassed by what they wrote and published (currently life of author plus 50 or 70 years).
But once published, after the copyright period has expired the publication should automatically enter the public domain regardless of whether the author wishes it to not.
The dues are - you use copyright - the publication goes into the public domain when copyright expires.
Regarding unpublished journals, if someone found them and published them after copyright had expired, then they are currently legally entitled to do so. If copyright has s not expired then the copyright holder could prevent publication or take legal action to suppress the publication.