12-26-2007, 01:23 PM | #1 |
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Is this book out of copyright? (how to find out)
A book in particular and books in general. I'm looking for The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank and was wondering if it was PD (and if so, where to get it ).
How do you find out which books are PD and which become PD each month/year? Thanks! |
12-26-2007, 01:42 PM | #2 |
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The original and translations are almost certainly still in copyright. You can search for the US copyright here (you want the TX records):
http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwe...33132&PID=4257 I wrote a short guide to US copyright records. I'll go find it and post it here. |
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12-26-2007, 01:46 PM | #3 |
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Summary of US copyright law, by year
This is my brief working guide, not an explanation of the whys and wherefores.
1964 Everything published after this year is under copyright until the end of time. It might have an open license, but it's still copyrighted. 1950 All copyrights before 1964 must be renewed in the 28th year, or the copyright lapses. The online records go back to to 1978, so all renewal notices of copyrights originally dated after 1950 can be found online. http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwe...33132&PID=4257 before 1950 The copyright must be renewed in the 28th year, or it lapses. Unfortunately, the renewal notice is not online, it is on microfiche and has to be checked in person one sheet at a time. Plus, copies of the microfiche are in a limited number of locations in the US. before 1923 Not In Copyright If this seems unnecessarily complicated, good. I got all the details. |
12-27-2007, 04:26 AM | #4 | |
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The US currently has a "Life + 70" copyright law, like most countries in the world, which applies from 1978 onwards. From 2047, US copyright will start behaving like that of rest of the world, and works will enter the public domain at the start of the year following the 70th anniversary of the author's death. There are many books which are in the public domain in virtually every country in the world except the US (those works published after 1923 by authors who died before 1937), and a rather smaller number which are in the public domain in the US but not elsewhere (pre-1923 works works by authors who died after 1937). In the rest of the world, books continue to enter the public domain year by year (eg in a few days we, in the UK, will get all the books by authors who died during 1937, a year after than we get all the books by authors who died during 1938, and so on); unfortunately this natural process of copyright expiration is currently "frozen" in the US. |
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12-27-2007, 04:34 AM | #5 | |
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All this applies to "life + 70" countries, of course; not the US which has its own peculiar copyright laws. |
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12-27-2007, 07:44 AM | #6 | |
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No, I am correct. the correct year is 1964, not 1978.
Quote:
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#hlc It's too early for me to form a coherent argument, but I like the 28 year rule. The current system sucks. |
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12-27-2007, 09:00 AM | #7 |
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12-27-2007, 09:52 AM | #8 |
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Okay, now I understand. That's not really relevant to the discussion at hand.
He wanted to know how to tell if a work is under copyright today, not how long that work will be under copyright. My guide answers his question in a simple straightforward manner. Admittedly, I exaggerated the length of time, but the current terms might as well be forever. |
12-27-2007, 09:55 AM | #9 | |
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Fortunately, the British government has recently rejected a proposal to extend the term of copyright protection in the UK. |
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01-11-2008, 10:08 AM | #10 | |
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If so, it's time to get you a padded room, as every sane person knows that Congress will continue retroactively extending copyrights. Andy |
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01-11-2008, 10:28 AM | #11 |
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Why? The UK government recently decided against an extension of copyright terms; why should the US government not do likewise?
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01-11-2008, 10:39 AM | #12 |
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interactions of copyright laws
This begs the question, are there legal reprecussions for sending an item from where there is a copyright to where there is not a copyright. For example, if one sent a Dorthy L. Sayer mystery (which is in copyright in the US) to Austrailia (where it is not, for inclusion in P.G. Austrailia) would that be a copyright violation? (Paper copy, of couse, as the act of scanning would be a copyright violation in the US).
Last edited by Greg Anos; 01-11-2008 at 10:41 AM. Reason: Left out word and phrase. |
01-11-2008, 12:24 PM | #13 |
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The first of the Dorothy L Sayers mysteries is on PG Australia. And we have it here too.
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01-11-2008, 12:59 PM | #14 | |
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Just like PG Australia are not breaking any law in having material on their server which is out of copyright in Australia, but in copyright in the US, but if you live in the US, you are breaking the law if you download from PG Australia a book which is within copyright in the US. |
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01-11-2008, 01:06 PM | #15 | |
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