LibriVox Forum

Has it ever been suggested that LibriVox encourage volunteers to work on poems and the like that will soon be entering into the public domain? Couldn't these recordings be stored legally if they are not made available until the copyright expires?

I understand that the workload is high enough with works currently in the public domain, but surely we can see the benefit to storing recordings of more recent work that appeals to a certain set of us or to potential volunteers.

If you, on your own, on your own computer, want to record and store copyrighted material, we cannot stop you. But LV will not encourage, coordinate, or store recordings of copyrighted material.

We have been, and want to continue to be, above reproach.

Personally, I do not see any benefit to LV of storing recordings of copyrighted material until it's PD. It sounds like a clerical nightmare, having admins stubbing their toes on the legs of stored, copyrighted projects and remembering to publicly release them when they're PD. I would not want that responsibility or hassle.

I can certainly understand your position.

Digging a bit deeper into the matter, I remembered that 2019 is a special year. Some of Robert Frost's work is finally in the public domain, as are many other 'contemporary' works. There's much to do with all of that!

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/first-time-20-years-copyrighted-works-enter-public-domain-180971016/

Yep! "New Hampshire" is already in our catalog.

Here are a couple book suggestion threads for 1923 works:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=73142
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=73086
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74480

Surprisingly, no one has started The Inimitable Jeeves yet. Perhaps that's because it's still under copyright in Canada and Europe.

And there's a TON of material from before 1923 that hasn't been recorded yet. Our work is certainly not close to being done!

Thank you.

(First, I better get my 'Home Rule' work done!)

KevinS wrote: ↑April 10th, 2019, 7:48 am Has it ever been suggested that LibriVox encourage volunteers to work on poems and the like that will soon be entering into the public domain?

Why should I put myself into danger of doing something illegal when I don't even find the time to record the stuff I can do legally? I don't understand that.

moniaqua wrote: ↑April 10th, 2019, 10:29 am

KevinS wrote: ↑April 10th, 2019, 7:48 am Has it ever been suggested that LibriVox encourage volunteers to work on poems and the like that will soon be entering into the public domain?

Why should I put myself into danger of doing something illegal when I don't even find the time to record the stuff I can do legally? I don't understand that.

I don't think this would be illegal. Regardless, I think TriciaG's remarks are spot on. And you're right, there is a lot yet to do, especially now that 1923 is open to us.

We sought advice on the whole subject in December last year and the concenus opinion was as was then stated in the forum, no.

Anne