Public Domain Day 2016 in the UK: A Special Day

pdurrant · 11-07-2015, 02:50 AM

The UK switched from life+50 to retroactive life+70 on 1st January 1996. So works of authors that died between 1925 and 1944 inclusive became copyrighted again, and works of authors who died in 1945 did not fall into the public domain on 1st January 1996 as they would otherwise have done.

So since 1996, all works entering the public domain in the UK had already been in the public domain at some point.

But now twenty years have passed. On 1st January 2015 we finally got back all the works that had been taken from the public domain by the retroactive copyright extension.

So on 1st January 2016, for the first time in twenty years, we'll see works entering the UK public domain that have never been in the UK public domain before!

An extra cause for celebration on 1st January 2016, I think.

Well, If I have my arithmetic right! I'd welcome some confirmation.

(The USA will have to wait until 1st January 2019 for a similar happy occasion.)

GERGE · 11-07-2015, 03:10 AM

So, I am curious, what happened to the books printed before 1996 and whose authors died after 1925. Like works of D. H. Lawrence?

HarryT · 11-07-2015, 04:07 AM

They went back into copyright protection, but, if I recall correctly (and I'm sure pdurrant knows more about this than I do) there was a clause in the law which extended the copyright term which meant that anyone who was already using a work that had been in the public domain and now no longer was could continue to do so by paying a licence fee to the rights-holder.

GERGE · 11-07-2015, 05:14 AM

Thanks, but I was unclear. What happened to a Sons and Lovers which was printed (let's say by Penguin) at 10.000 books and distrubuted to the bookstores at 1995?

Did Penguin get the sales, or share the sales with Lawrence's estate? I feel like Penguin should be protected here but they would have to pay a licensing fee for subsequent publishings as you said.

HarryT · 11-07-2015, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GERGE

Thanks, but I was unclear. What happened to a Sons and Lovers which was printed (let's say by Penguin) at 10.000 books and distrubuted to the bookstores at 1995?

Did Penguin get the sales, or share the sales with Lawrence's estate? I feel like Penguin should be protected here but they would have to pay a licensing fee for subsequent publishings as you said.

I believe that the current print run, done while the book was in the public domain, would have been fine, but they'd need to pay a fee to reprint it.

GERGE · 11-07-2015, 05:22 AM

By the way, I wasn't aware of this.

There is an article competition about copyright here right now. I might write about this, seems really interesting.

Thanks!

HarryT · 11-07-2015, 05:26 AM

One of the most notable authors whose work will enter the public domain in 2016 in life+70 countries will be Anne Frank, but only of course in its original language (Dutch?). Translations are subject to their own copyright term.

murg · 11-07-2015, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

One of the most notable authors whose work will enter the public domain in 2016 in life+70 countries will be Anne Frank, but only of course in its original language (Dutch?). Translations are subject to their own copyright term.

That's ok. Just run the Dutch through Google Translate, and you're good to go.

HarryT · 11-07-2015, 04:04 PM

That's rarely a satisfactory way to read a book in my experience. Do you find it to be so?

Katsunami · 11-07-2015, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's rarely a satisfactory way to read a book in my experience. Do you find it to be so?

LOL. I *think* that remark was an attempt at humor

HarryT · 11-07-2015, 04:24 PM

A pretty fundamental requirement for humour is that it should be humorous.

Turtle91 · 11-07-2015, 05:01 PM

Have you listened to some of the "comedians" lately??

Greg Anos · 11-07-2015, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The UK switched from life+50 to retroactive life+70 on 1st January 1996. So works of authors that died between 1925 and 1944 inclusive became copyrighted again, and works of authors who died in 1945 did not fall into the public domain on 1st January 1996 as they would otherwise have done.

So since 1996, all works entering the public domain in the UK had already been in the public domain at some point.

But now twenty years have passed. On 1st January 2015 we finally got back all the works that had been taken from the public domain by the retroactive copyright extension.

So on 1st January 2016, for the first time in twenty years, we'll see works entering the UK public domain that have never been in the UK public domain before!

An extra cause for celebration on 1st January 2016, I think.

Well, If I have my arithmetic right! I'd welcome some confirmation.

(The USA will have to wait until 1st January 2019 for a similar happy occasion.)

Paul, are you certain about this? I don't know the British Law involved, but wouldn't works that went back into Copyright in 1996 have rolled off each years as that year reached life + 70? Otherwise some work would have ended up under copyright until life + 89 for an author that died in 1925.

Not trying to be cranky, just uncertain about the UK law...

PS. Never mind I misread your post. You point is correct.

HarryT · 11-07-2015, 05:25 PM

Paul is correct, Ralph.

On 31st December 1995 the UK had a copyright term of life+50 years, and all books written by authors who died prior to 1945 were in the public domain.

On 1st January 1996, the copyright term extended to life+70 years, as a consequence of which all books written by authors who died between 1926 and 1944 were removed from the public domain.

In the 20 years since then, we've been getting them back a year at a time, and this year (2015) we've got the last of them back. Ie the same books are now in the public domain as were there in 1995.

On 1st Jan 2016 we'll get books by authors who died in 1945 which have never before been in the UK public domain.

Katsunami · 11-07-2015, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Paul is correct, Ralph.

On 31st December 1995 the UK had a copyright term of life+50 years, and all books written by authors who died prior to 1945 were in the public domain.

On 1st January 1996, the copyright term extended to life+70 years, as a consequence of which all books written by authors who died between 1926 and 1944 were removed from the public domain.

So... Sherlock Holmes is not in PD in the UK at this point in time, as Conan Doyle died in 1930?

11-07-2015, 02:50 AM	#1
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 73,613 Karma: 315126578 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	Public Domain Day 2016 in the UK: A Special Day The UK switched from life+50 to retroactive life+70 on 1st January 1996. So works of authors that died between 1925 and 1944 inclusive became copyrighted again, and works of authors who died in 1945 did not fall into the public domain on 1st January 1996 as they would otherwise have done. So since 1996, all works entering the public domain in the UK had already been in the public domain at some point. But now twenty years have passed. On 1st January 2015 we finally got back all the works that had been taken from the public domain by the retroactive copyright extension. So on 1st January 2016, for the first time in twenty years, we'll see works entering the UK public domain that have never been in the UK public domain before! An extra cause for celebration on 1st January 2016, I think. Well, If I have my arithmetic right! I'd welcome some confirmation. (The USA will have to wait until 1st January 2019 for a similar happy occasion.)

11-07-2015, 04:24 PM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	A pretty fundamental requirement for humour is that it should be humorous. Last edited by HarryT; 11-07-2015 at 04:27 PM.

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11-07-2015, 03:10 AM	#2
GERGE Guru Posts: 733 Karma: 5797160 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Istanbul Device: Kobo Libra	So, I am curious, what happened to the books printed before 1996 and whose authors died after 1925. Like works of D. H. Lawrence?

11-07-2015, 04:07 AM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	They went back into copyright protection, but, if I recall correctly (and I'm sure pdurrant knows more about this than I do) there was a clause in the law which extended the copyright term which meant that anyone who was already using a work that had been in the public domain and now no longer was could continue to do so by paying a licence fee to the rights-holder.

11-07-2015, 05:14 AM	#4
GERGE Guru Posts: 733 Karma: 5797160 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Istanbul Device: Kobo Libra	Thanks, but I was unclear. What happened to a Sons and Lovers which was printed (let's say by Penguin) at 10.000 books and distrubuted to the bookstores at 1995? Did Penguin get the sales, or share the sales with Lawrence's estate? I feel like Penguin should be protected here but they would have to pay a licensing fee for subsequent publishings as you said.

11-07-2015, 05:22 AM	#6
GERGE Guru Posts: 733 Karma: 5797160 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Istanbul Device: Kobo Libra	By the way, I wasn't aware of this. There is an article competition about copyright here right now. I might write about this, seems really interesting. Thanks!

11-07-2015, 05:26 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	One of the most notable authors whose work will enter the public domain in 2016 in life+70 countries will be Anne Frank, but only of course in its original language (Dutch?). Translations are subject to their own copyright term.

11-07-2015, 04:04 PM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	That's rarely a satisfactory way to read a book in my experience. Do you find it to be so?

11-07-2015, 05:01 PM	#12
Turtle91 A Hairy Wizard Posts: 3,301 Karma: 20171571 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Charleston, SC today Device: iPhone 15/11/X/6/iPad 1,2,Air & Air Pro/Surface Pro/Kindle PW & Fire	Have you listened to some of the "comedians" lately??

11-07-2015, 05:25 PM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Paul is correct, Ralph. On 31st December 1995 the UK had a copyright term of life+50 years, and all books written by authors who died prior to 1945 were in the public domain. On 1st January 1996, the copyright term extended to life+70 years, as a consequence of which all books written by authors who died between 1926 and 1944 were removed from the public domain. In the 20 years since then, we've been getting them back a year at a time, and this year (2015) we've got the last of them back. Ie the same books are now in the public domain as were there in 1995. On 1st Jan 2016 we'll get books by authors who died in 1945 which have never before been in the UK public domain.