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So, if the publisher changes a single word in a new copyright, and the old one expires, can the publisher sue someone who shared the old version? It'd only be o
by detrites 4y ago
So, if the publisher changes a single word in a new copyright, and the old one expires, can the publisher sue someone who shared the old version? It'd only be one word off, so they could argue it's effectively infringement...
- josephcsible 4y agoNo. If that trick worked, you'd have seen it happen to at least one extremely popular public domain work (e.g., the King James Bible) by now.
- bentley 4y agoThe King James Bible is actually under perpetual Crown Copyright in the UK.
- bentley 4y agoThey could make that argument, but wouldn’t succeed (speaking from the US legal viewpoint, anyway). The only copyright held by the publisher would cover the additions and changes; the original work would no longer be copyrightable.
- inglor_cz 4y agoYou can always sue, but the court may laugh at you.
- imetatroll 4y agoSo ironically the forbidden versions will be released freely first. Hilarious.