Free books question

[paradanmellow]

I think that one's perspective about intellectual property changes once one writes a successful novel or conceives of a valuable invention. One develops an extremely strong proprietary sense of one's creations considering the requisite risk, struggle, and sacrifice demanded for success. I'm an inventor and I'll sue anyone (corporations included) who infringes my patents. Indeed, I have.

exactly sir! that's why we are discussing dead people's writings here : )

I have an issue with the argument that someone's rights should be taken away simply because they're dead. It's similar to the argument somebody's diaries or letters should be in the public domain just because they're dead. I don't see the logic or reasoning. Your rights should be protected after death because the work still exists as still a production or creation authored by the creator. In the case of diaries or letters, those are still private thoughts. I am not saying that it should only be protected because it allows family to make money from it. But the copyrighted works should be protected. It's your complete work and thoughts. It should be preserved.

so you're saying only what the author intended for print should be sold? I agree. but since one's dead, their privacy is gone too. we could have secret documents for free! XD it only affects immediate relatives if this writer was some sort of pedophile like they rumor Lewis Carroll was, since the value of his work still remains despite the faulty personality. also bad publicity is still publicity... I mean: you're dead! what privacy? only we can discuss that anymore. it don't exist in itself, out there. it's actually better kept into our home's privacy, becoming part of it, read and admired, than into some dusty shelf because that's where it happened to be.

Interestingly, consistent with his will, Mark Twain's autobiography wasn't published until last year, 100 years after his death. So, the legal imperative of his will was lawfully respected and the world waited a century.

Don't like copyrights and patents? Forget progress (and, in the U.S., forget the Constitution--yes, IP is enshrined therein).

what's progress have to do with copyright? did the greatest inventions come out of greed? really? (I didn't get the IP reference, since I'm not an English native it's hard to figure out figures of speech sometimes)

 

[Gaze]

Never agreed with the argument that being dead means you lose your right to privacy for written or created personal documents. Doesn't follow.

 

[paradanmellow]

Never agreed with the argument that being dead means you lose your right to privacy for written or created personal documents. Doesn't follow.

ok, I see now XD

 

[arbygil]

I actually have a personal account on this.

My father wrote a textbook and he also had some music published. I had to go through probate court because he died without a will, and I fought for the right to be the rightful heir to his future earnings. BTW, royalties really aren't that much; you get maybe 10% of the cost of each book if you're lucky ($1 for every $10). But when I was out of work, or I needed new brakes on my car, or new tires...that little bit helped.

Royalties aren't necessarily automatic. You may go through court to get them, and the court costs can be expensive. I think if you fight that hard to have those rights, you should be able to keep them.

Even if it wasn't me, I think a writer has the right to say where their income goes after they die (if they have a will). +70 years covers immediate family, and immediate family's children. After that...well, great-grampa is in public domain.

 

[This]

I think if the intellectual property is inherited directly though a will or to a family member than that should be protected and that family or beneficiary should receive those royalties. However many royalties are not owned by those family members or beneficiaries but rather by large corporations. Did you know that the song happy birthday is not public domain? it's owned by Warner

 

[Norton]

what's progress have to do with copyright? did the greatest inventions come out of greed? really? (I didn't get the IP reference, since I'm not an English native it's hard to figure out figures of speech sometimes)

You can call it greed, I call it just compensation, and, at its most basic, survival. Why should I write a successful, popular book and then have all the money it earns make a publisher rich while I get nothing? What would be the incentive to write books? I believe that writing books represent progress in the arts and if authors do not receive compensation for their writing, they won't write, you'll have nothing to read, and the whole world will be stupid (or, at least, stupider than it already is).

 

[paradanmellow]

BTW, royalties really aren't that much; you get maybe 10% of the cost of each book if you're lucky ($1 for every $10). But when I was out of work, or I needed new brakes on my car, or new tires...that little bit helped.

Royalties aren't necessarily automatic. You may go through court to get them, and the court costs can be expensive. I think if you fight that hard to have those rights, you should be able to keep them.

Even if it wasn't me, I think a writer has the right to say where their income goes after they die

I agree with all of this. What I don't agree with is the state or anyone else getting the money for something they added nothing to, just because they can. I was pretty ignorant of this issue until I heard one musician complain that iTunes ripped him off and that he'd better give his music for free on torrents than being taken for a sucker by big companies. if anyone's interested, here's his speech: http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/20327495

I think if the intellectual property is inherited directly though a will or to a family member than that should be protected and that family or beneficiary should receive those royalties. However many royalties are not owned by those family members or beneficiaries but rather by large corporations. Did you know that the song happy birthday is not public domain? it's owned by Warner

 

[AzulSoul]

Legally speaking, copyright becomes null and void 75 years after the creator's death. Therefor, authors who died less than seventy five years ago still own copyright.