I was just wondering if librivox will be willing to have some Bengali books on board. We can start with noble winning Bengali poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore). Bengali is the fourth most spoken language in the world and it would be nice to have some audio books for the Bengali folks out there. Rabindranath Tagore's work is no more under copy right protection, so we can totally do it! His works were also translated in English and other languages.
I myself with some friends of mine are willing to participate in increasing the number of Bengali audio books. I would love it if librivox gives us the chance to do so!
Thanks everyone! I look forward to be a part of librivox volunteer team.
They would be most welcome here! The key is the copyright though.
1. it has to have been published before 1923. (US law)
and
2. Whether or not you live in a death +50 or death +70 years copyright country.
If it is death +70, you will have to wait till Jan 2012.
Few countries are death +100. I think Mexico is one of them.
Esther
"Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable
people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress,
therefore, depends on unreasonable people." George Bernard Shaw
Duration/Term of Protection
The term of copyright varies according to the nature of the work and whether the author is a natural person or a legal person e.g. a Corporation, Government Institution, etc., or whether the work is anonymous or pseudonymous. Section 24-32 of the Copyright Act laid down the term of protection as follows-
1. In the case of literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work (other than a photograph) when published during the lifetime of the author, copyright subsists during the lifetime of the author plus sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the author dies.
2. Where the work is of joint authorship the sixty years period will start after the death of the author, who dies last.
3. In the case of anonymous or pseudonymous works the terms of copyright is until sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the work is first published. If the identity of the author is disclosed before the expiry of the sixty years period, copyright shall subsist until sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the author dies.
4. In the case of posthumous publications the term will be sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the work is first published.
5. The period of copyright for a photograph is sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the photograph is published.
6. For cinematography film and record also the term is sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the work is published.
7. Where the Government or a public undertaking is the first owner of copyright, the term of copyright is sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the work is first published.
8. Copyright works of International Organisation also have a term of sixty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the work is first published.
Apart from the protection of above mentioned works, Copyright Act 2000 also provides for the protection of broadcast reproduction rights for a term of twenty five years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the broadcast is made [section 33(2)]. Again, protection of performers' rights is also ensured for a term of fifty years from the beginning of the calendar year next following the year in which the performance is made [section 35(2)].
Chances are that many of Tagore's Bengali works will be usable, since they were probably written before 1923.
The copyright laws of Bangladesh are only valid in Bangladesh, so that would only affect readers in that country. If I were in a Life+70 country, I wouldn't be able to read any works by him without breaking my own country's copyright laws. However, we don't police this but leave it up to readers to follow the laws of their country.
So, in summary:
- To be read for LibriVox, the works must be published 1922 or earlier.
- Readers should obey the copyright laws of their country.
I was wondering wether Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's works in bengali would be eligible too. Devi Chaudhurani was published in 1884 so I would guess it can be recorded. Can any one confirm?. Its very difficult to find information - I am guessing that translated text is subject to copyright for that particular version and not for the original novel... am I right ?
I love that novel and would love to record it..
Please note that Chatterjee's book Kopal-Kundala is being recorded now, and we need readers! The sections are short, and we are using an English translation. It would be fun to have a Bengali version on LV also!
Czandra
I asked my librarian about the noise, and she said, "no one would come here
if they weren't allowed to talk out loud." So I read out loud.
Je lis à haute voix car refléchir fait trop de bruit!
If I were in a Life+70 country, I wouldn't be able to read any works by him without breaking my own country's copyright laws. However, we don't police this but leave it up to readers to follow the laws of their country.