Author's rights

Alexa · 08-29-2006, 10:07 PM

I wonder about the author's rights. If the author is dead, let's say before 1900, any editor can use his works ? I mean, does he pay for the right to sell the books ?

Princess Ivy · 08-29-2006, 11:08 PM

copyrite lasts, i think, fifty years, but can be bequethed to an heir. also, i beleive it differs from field to field........... sure leto can shed more light

Leto · 08-29-2006, 11:23 PM

Except if you're owned by Disney, the general rules is copyright last 50 years after the death of the author. Now law differs slightly from one country to another, as some countries (including mine) distinguished between moral copyrights and moneraty copyrights.

But usually any author death before 1956 is now in public domain and can be published by anyone without paying rights.

Alexa · 08-30-2006, 03:09 PM

Same rule apply for tales ?

Princess Ivy · 08-30-2006, 05:29 PM

in which way? tall tales? written down/fillmed fairy tales?
my understanding is that any tale is up for grabs so long as it's more than fifty years old, however, it gets fuzzy with things like disney copy riting certain fairy tales. my understanding here is that we can still use the fairy tale, the basic storyline, but not nic the characters used by disney corp (ie, not aurora as sleeping beauty) or his pictoral representation, unless it is on a film that is over 50 years old (such as shrek using very acurate drawings of snow white). confused?

Leto · 08-30-2006, 07:47 PM

For tales it's like any other piece of creation : 50 years after the author's death.
Disney copyrighted animation movies and animated characters based on tales, not tales themselves.

Alexa · 08-30-2006, 11:54 PM

Thanks a lot. I might edit some fairy tales for children, possible for Christmas time.

Leto · 08-31-2006, 08:17 AM

No trouble for them then. Do you plan to have a special theme for this book ?

Princess Ivy · 08-31-2006, 10:22 AM

and can we see a copy?

Alexa · 08-31-2006, 03:12 PM

Only classics: Grimm, Anderson, la Contesse de Ségur, etc. I didn't see them often in the libraries.

Ivy I can show you a copy, but I'll write in French.