Public Domain Day 2016 in the UK: A Special Day

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I'm surprised more authors/publishers don't do this. Simply add a child or grandchild as co-author to extend the copyright.

Clive Cussler gives co-author status to his son on the Dirk Pitt novels for at least the last 10 years.
Anne McCaffrey about the same with Todd.

I suspect there are others.

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You'd need to be able to present proof of your claim if it were to have any merit. Eg, changes suggested by a story development editor would be in writing, so there'd be a paper trail.

70 years after the fact?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

70 years after the fact?

If you were trying to assert that you had a claim on someone else's copyright, then it's your responsibility to present the evidence. If you've lost the paperwork that backs up your claim, you're out of luck .

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Clive Cussler gives co-author status to his son on the Dirk Pitt novels for at least the last 10 years.
Anne McCaffrey about the same with Todd.

That's a rather different situation, though. Nobody's claiming, as far as I know, that the books that were stated to be co-written by Todd really weren't. It's not as if Todd is claiming to have co-written the earlier books, or that he only added his name to the books after his mother's death.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You'd need to be able to present proof of your claim if it were to have any merit. Eg, changes suggested by a story development editor would be in writing, so there'd be a paper trail.

I'm talking about rough drafts before they hit an editor. Authors bounce ideas around with family, friends, academics and other authors before a manuscript is completed and presented to a publisher. Most authors acknowledge these individuals in the author's notes at a book's conclusion. But an author can say this one person's input was invaluable and add them as co-author or collaborator.

The other side would have to present proof that the co-author wasn't involved in the book's creation. This would be nearly impossible decades after one author's death.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I'm talking about rough drafts before they hit an editor. Authors bounce ideas around with family, friends, academics and other authors before a manuscript is completed and presented to a publisher. Most authors acknowledge these individuals in the author's notes at a book's conclusion. But an author can say this one person's input was invaluable and add them as co-author or collaborator.

The other side would have to present proof that the co-author wasn't involved in the book's creation. This would be nearly impossible decades after one author's death.

I've certainly never heard of a situation in which someone tried to claim that a person that an author themselves claimed was a co-author actually wasn't. Have you? As you say, if the people involved are long dead, it would probably be almost impossible to prove.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've certainly never heard of a situation in which someone tried to claim that a person that an author themselves claimed was a co-author actually wasn't. Have you? As you say, if the people involved are long dead, it would probably be almost impossible to prove.

Exactly. That's why I'm surprised more authors don't add a co-author to the copyright.

[Apache]

WEB Griffin, William E. Butterworth, III added his son, William E Butterworth, IV
as coauthor a few years ago. I am pretty sure he is actively involved in writing the books.
Apache