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2
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by KURT VONNEGUT, JR.

This short story is on Gutenberg and it says that no renewal of copyright can be found in 1962. However, although I've started to record this short piece I've discovered he died in 2007.

I suppose this means that it is not PD until 2077!

Had I better give up?

We've several versions in the catalogue , so it's PD in the USA because the copyright was not renewed in the USA.
However you and I don't live in the USA so we need to find out if it's also out of copyright where we are residing - and it's not , we both need it to be January 1st 2007 plus 71 years before it is.


Anne

Thanks for the info. OK - I'll wait another 71 years before reading it. I'll only be 148 then - still pretty young ...

Leave the recording safely stored with instructions for release in your will.

I've found that it's been done on LV and well read, so really no point in doing it again, even in the year 2078 - and I'm sure by then I will be busy bringing up some small kids plus a few canines ... but I'm sure the mic's and recording gear will have improved quite a bit by then.

You could go for a holiday in the USA and record it then.
You could occupy the USA embassy in London perhaps - or establish a "pirate recording studio" on the Dogger bank or book for the first moon flight. Think laterally

Anne

Maybe I will do one of those things! What I don't understand is how it can be PD in the US as he only died 10 years ago, which was very inconsiderate of him.

An author's Date of Death has no bearing on U.S. Public Domain until relatively recently (works published after 1977, I believe).

2 B R 0 2 B (published in Worlds of If, January 1962) is PD in the US because:

PG cleared the work under Rule 6: Failure of U.S. Works to Comply With Renewal Requirements Prior to 1964.

PG's Rule 6 falls under that part of the copyright regs which apply to "Works Registered or First Published in the U.S.," between 1923 and 1963 inclusive, where the work was originally registered, but the registration was not renewed with the Copyright Office as required by the regs in force during that time. Such works become public domain for the failure to renew.

PG requires additional research for such clearance requests (in addition to the basic clearance information and images of the TP&V), before they will review and accept/reject a clearance request. Note, I'm not a lawyer or copyright expert, but have obtained Rule 6 clearances from PG in the past and am familiar with the process.

I've heard it said that about 85% of all the works published in the U.S. between 1923 and 1963 are public domain due to the failure to renew. But doing the research to prove can become difficult at times, especially for works published in periodicals.

FWIW,
Don

Many thanks Don. As always, brilliant knowledge. Now I understand.

Peter