Books by Karel Capek are out of copyright from today

[kacir]

One of the greatest Czech authors Karel Capek (properly spelled Karel Čapek) has died exactly 70 years ago and the information about his books going to the Public Domain have even made news in the main evening news program.

He was most famous for his Science Fiction books long before the Science Fiction became an established genere. He was the very first person to write about robots. The very word ROBOT was invented by Mr. Karel Capek in his play "Rosum's Universal Robots".(**)

He also wrote books for children that are still very popular, detective stories, novels, fairy tales and theatre plays


So now, I can safely post link that has two links to his books
R.U.R. - Rossum's Universal Robots (1920)
and
The War With The Newts (Valka s mloky) (1936)
http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/c/capek/karel/


(**)
For the nitpickers here, Mr. Capek claimed that the word Robot was actually invented by his brother. See here: http://capek.misto.cz/english/robot.html

[Nate the great]

Not in all countries. In Canada, for instance, works enter the public domain on 1 January.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Not in all countries. In Canada, for instance, his works will enter the public domain on 1 January 2009.

are you sure about that ? i thought canada was life + 50 ? that would mean his work has been in the PD there for 20 years already.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

are you sure about that ? i thought canada was life + 50 ? that would mean his work has been in the PD there for 20 years already.

If you mean _death_ + 50, then yes. But it does not happen in the middle of the year, only on 1 January.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by kacir

One of the greatest Czech authors Karel Capek (properly spelled Karel Čapek) has died exactly 70 years ago and the information about his books going to the Public Domain have even made news in the main evening news program.

He was most famous for his Science Fiction books long before the Science Fiction became an established genere. He was the very first person to write about robots. The very word ROBOT was invented by Mr. Karel Capek in his play "Rosum's Universal Robots".(**)

He also wrote books for children that are still very popular, detective stories, novels, fairy tales and theatre plays


So now, I can safely post link that has two links to his books
R.U.R. - Rossum's Universal Robots (1920)
and
The War With The Newts (Valka s mloky) (1936)
http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/c/capek/karel/


(**)
For the nitpickers here, Mr. Capek claimed that the word Robot was actually invented by his brother. See here: http://capek.misto.cz/english/robot.html

Sorry, but this is incorrect.

In all "life + 70" countries, works enter the public domain at the start of the year after the 70th anniversary of the author's death. These books will enter the public domain in such countries (which includes the whole of the EU) on 1st Jan 2009. I'm afraid you'll have to wait another week .

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

If you mean _death_ + 50, then yes. But it does not happen in the middle of the year, only on 1 January.

right, "death" + 50, oops. but my point is, they're *already* in the PD in canada. i guess they will enter the PD in some death* + 70 countries on 1st january 2009.

anyway, regardless, thanks kacir for the news ! and for the link. i've heard of this author but never read him before. maybe now is the time.

*wow, i really want to write "life + whatever" there. you know, like the duration of the author's life + 50 years. i think we should change the expression just to make allowances for my own personal logic.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

wow, i really want to write "life + whatever" there. you know, like the duration of the author's life + 50 years. i think we should change the expression just to make allowances for my own personal logic.

"Life + x" is indeed the "standard" way of expressing it meaning, as you say, the author's lifetime + x years.

[Nate the great]

Except that a 51 year old living author fits the description of "life + 50". If you want to refer to a period after the end of the author's life, you need a different word.

[HarryT]

I'm sorry, Nate, but the world isn't likely to change the terminology universally used to describe copyright terms just because you don't personally like it .

[Greg Anos]

Oh I don't know...It's kinda like a jail sentence for the book. You know - Superman II - where Lex Luthor was serving life + 25 years....

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Except that a 51 year old living author fits the description of "life + 50". If you want to refer to a period after the end of the author's life, you need a different word.

I disagree. The work is under copyright for the duration of the authors LIFE plus 50 years. That is totally correct.

BOb

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Except that a 51 year old living author fits the description of "life + 50". If you want to refer to a period after the end of the author's life, you need a different word.

You need a different word. Your definition is Birth+50.

Dale

[jlbfoot]

How about "LIFETIME + 50"?

[Dr. Drib]

The War With The Newts, by Capek, is already available here on MobileRead.

We can all thank BenG for making it available in LRF, PRC, and IMP formats.


Don

[pdurrant]

Great! I can download it next week!

Paul

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

The War With The Newts, by Capek, is already available here on MobileRead.

We can all thank BenG for making it available in LRF, PRC, and IMP formats.


Don