Quote:
Originally Posted by FlorenceArt
[SNIP]
I like that FW is publishing many old science-fiction books in multiformat, though I feel uneasy that those are probably out of copyright in the US and the author won't get a cent from those sales. On the other hand, I wish there were more books from the recent past (after WWII) available in e-format, and not just sci-fi...
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Almost nothing since the mid-1920s is out of copyright in the US. The exceptions (for SF, at least) mostly arise from the failure of various magazine publishers to renew the copyright on the contents of their magazines. So we find the magazine version of lots of 40s-60s SF up at Project Gutenberg (for example).
If you're worried about whether the author is getting money, check for the book over at PG. If it's at PG, save your money and download for free. If it's NOT at PG, then there's almost certainly a rights-holder somewhere who is getting a royalty payment from your purchase. And that rights-holder is most likely the author.
Xenophon