MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - how can a publisher claim copyright over a public domain work?

rem736 · 01-28-2010, 01:52 AM

thanks. i am not worried about my right to use the PD work. i'm just wondering how publishing companies do so when they are clearly PD.

though i don't plan to do it, it does mean that i can just take a PD work out of gutenberg, take out any reference to gutenberg, change the font and layout, slap a forward on it, and claim that i myself have copyrighted the work and sell it online. does that make sense to anyone?

01-28-2010, 01:52 AM	#3
rem736 purpose priority passion Posts: 645 Karma: 9002000 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: socal, usa Device: sony prs-350, b&n ngp, rM2, kindle scribe, boox poke5	thanks. i am not worried about my right to use the PD work. i'm just wondering how publishing companies do so when they are clearly PD. though i don't plan to do it, it does mean that i can just take a PD work out of gutenberg, take out any reference to gutenberg, change the font and layout, slap a forward on it, and claim that i myself have copyrighted the work and sell it online. does that make sense to anyone?