Copyright and Historical Literature.

Does anyone have any information regarding who owns the copyright to historical Literature, namely Bill Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet or Othello

How does copyright law work with respect to such historical writings?

[Edited on 13-12-2003 by Kano]

Things like that are public domain.

There is no copyright on classic works that are in the public domain, but even so, publishers can protect unique translations or adaptations or design features in their published versions of them.

When something leaves copyright protection and goes into public domain will vary from country to country. A rule of thumb for western countries is 70 years after the author's death.

I thought that it was ninety years.

Wasn't there a big debate going on about extended the length of copyright ever further than what it's at now?

Originally posted by parrhesia
Wasn't there a big debate going on about extended the length of copyright ever further than what it's at now?

Yep. Cause the copyright on Mickey Mouse was just about up. Disney lobbied to extend it so they would retain all rights.

Prompted perhaps by the Disney group's lavish donations of campaign cash - more than $6.3 million in 1997-98, according to the nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics - Congress passed and President Clinton signed the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.

Amazing what millions of dollars will do for you.


Link to story

[Edited on 1-21-2004 by darklanser]

Ah cool, thanks for the responses, I'd forgotten about this thread.