Question regarding author’s death +70 year rule (Europe)

TND1 · Post by **TND1** » November 17th, 2023, 3:47 am

The author of the book I want to record died in April 1953, which is obviously more than 70 years ago - Am I allowed to record the book as at today?

I wasn’t sure if the same rule applies to authors as it does to books, where copyright ceases from the start of the year following the year of a book’s cessation of copyright.

Thanks

TND

Post by **Availle** » November 17th, 2023, 3:59 am

Not quite PD just yet - copyright extends to author's year of death + 70 years -> rounded up to the next January 1st.

So April 1953 + 70 years = April 2023 -> rounded up to January 1st, 2024.

It's a bit more than 6 weeks to wait, you can do it!

Also, please do not post the project template before that date as we will just remove it to comply with copyright as much as possible.

Post by **lorda** » November 17th, 2023, 6:05 am

Be careful about the year of publish. Our works are stored at servers in the U. S., so we also must look about the copyright in the U. S. The book you want to read must be published 96 years ago or earlier (the copyright has expired in the U.S. on these works.
More information you will find here (https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Copyright_and_Public_Domain)

TND1 · Post by **TND1** » November 17th, 2023, 10:11 am

Availle wrote: ↑November 17th, 2023, 3:59 am Not quite PD just yet - copyright extends to author's year of death + 70 years -> rounded up to the next January 1st.

So April 1953 + 70 years = April 2023 -> rounded up to January 1st, 2024.

It's a bit more than 6 weeks to wait, you can do it!

Also, please do not post the project template before that date as we will just remove it to comply with copyright as much as possible.

Thanks for the clarification Ava - January the first 2024 it is then!

lorda wrote: ↑November 17th, 2023, 6:05 am Be careful about the year of publish. Our works are stored at servers in the U. S., so we also must look about the copyright in the U. S. The book you want to read must be published 96 years ago or earlier (the copyright has expired in the U.S. on these works.

Thanks for highlighting this aspect of copyright Bernd. The book that I plan to record is from the early 1900s, so that won't present a problem.

Cheers

TND