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how would copyright work for these? They were never copyrighted, so they're not outside the copyright->public works window. could super evil publisher copyright
by rancur 11y ago
how would copyright work for these? They were never copyrighted, so they're not outside the copyright->public works window. could super evil publisher copyright them? maybe I should just google for copyright.
- grkvlt 11y agoAll documents have copyright, as I understand it, automatically. Although, I guess these were created before that was established, so perhaps you are right and they were never copyrighted...? IANAL and all that.
- maxerickson 11y agoIt is specifically addressed in the law: http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap3.html#303 http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap3.html#303 But only the legitimate owner of the documents will be able to publish them, not any random evil corporation.
- zerocrates 11y agoIt sounds like this is mostly stuff that appeared in newspapers in the 1800s, so the term of any possible protection they had has long expired. Unpublished writings would be treated differently, but even they would be out of copyright if first published today.
- te_platt 11y agoNot that long ago. A copyright term of life plus 70 years would mean that protection ended in 1980. Well, 1980 seems like a long time ago now but I was there.
- zerocrates 11y agoStuff published in the 1800s wouldn't have ever had the life-plus-70 term, they'd have the shorter fixed term-plus-renewal scheme from the 1831 and 1909 copyright acts. For anything that was unpublished, you're right, though if they'd been found and published before 2002, they'd still be protected until 2047.
- Bjartr 11y agoTrademarks must be actively registered, whereas the creator of a work holds the copyright for that work by default. At least in the US.