LV Policy Discussion: Speeches [answered]

Shurtagal · Post by **Shurtagal** » March 31st, 2008, 7:48 pm

Recently I have wondered what the current policy regarding recordings of speeches is.

First a case in favor: A) They are PD. (Under same rules as texts)
B) Have significant historically significance.
C) Have LV precedent. (Patrick Henry's famous "Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death" and others.

A case against: A) Might be construed as running contrary to LV Mission. "Our objective is to make all books in the public domain available, for free, in audio format on the internet."
B) Possibly have equally significant books with same gist.
C) Policy changes, precedent is not all powerful[/u].

Just to let you know the speech I was thinking of is President Wilson's 14 Points speech to Congress. So what are people's thoughts?

Caeristhiona · Post by **Caeristhiona** » March 31st, 2008, 7:53 pm

No problem, if it's PD.

No problem whatsoever.

You can feel free to record any text at all. We tend to focus on books, but there is precedent not only for speeches, but also for newspapers, magazines, judicial decisions, the number pi, etc.

The text need not even be significant for it to be read by us. We are not snobbish as long as it's a) been printed and b) explicitly public domain.

If you're looking at Gutenberg, any text whatsoever that you find there is completely and totally free game.

Shurtagal · Post by **Shurtagal** » March 31st, 2008, 8:05 pm

Caeristhiona wrote:No problem, if it's PD.

No problem whatsoever.

You can feel free to record any text at all. We tend to focus on books, but there is precedent not only for speeches, but also for newspapers, magazines, judicial decisions, the number pi, etc.

The text need not even be significant for it to be read by us.

All good so far...

Caeristhiona wrote: We are not snobbish as long as it's a) been printed and b) explicitly public domain.

If you're looking at Gutenberg, any text whatsoever that you find there is completely and totally free game.

bullet "a) been printed" is where we may run into trouble, I believed this has meant - in the past - that it had to be published as a solid paper and ink of parchment and charcoal or stone and chisel, correct? This might cause problems for some speeches. particularly if people were forced to prove it.

Thanks for your prompt reply, I just wont to make sure that this is clear.

Post by **hugh** » March 31st, 2008, 8:13 pm

the "published" policy is mainly to avoid self-published work.

a notable speech that was performed in public, and is public domain is fine, and there is lots of precedent for it.

Shurtagal · Post by **Shurtagal** » March 31st, 2008, 8:38 pm

Alright, kul thanks to both.

genecode · Post by **genecode** » March 31st, 2008, 8:42 pm

Question:
Does it also need to be performed before the magic line 1923?

hugh wrote:a notable speech that was performed in public, and is public domain is fine, and there is lots of precedent for it.

genecode · Post by **genecode** » March 31st, 2008, 8:43 pm

Or, rather, how to define a notable speech that was performed in public is PD or not?

Post by **hugh** » March 31st, 2008, 8:45 pm

well it has to be in the public domain, which is a minefield of complication... so before 1923 guarantees that it is in the public domain. later texts/speeches depend on all sorts of things that i always forget, see:
http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/public_domain/

ceastman · Post by **ceastman** » April 1st, 2008, 12:45 pm

Yeah... A lot of government documentation goes into the public domain instantly, for example, no matter when it was first published. (e.g. the Foreign Service Institute's language courses, which were produced in the 1970s, are public domain and available online.

-Catharine