Re: Notice on unpublished excerpt

Thanks for your response, Elizabeth.

>> A copyright notice is no longer required [on] any works.

I know. So does The Heir, who nevertheless insists on including it.

>> The Heir should register the diary as an unpublished work with the
>> copyright office.

Of course. I have so advised.

>> About the requirements of copyright, the copyright on the
>> unpublished work lasts the life of the author plus seventy years.
>> When did the grandparent die? If it was longer than seventy years,
>> than the unpublished work is in the public domain, and does not
>> carry copyright.

Yes, all of that is also known. The grandparent died within the past ten years or so; this is not public domain material.

>> What is the Heir trying to do by the copyright notice requirement?

Damned if I know. Add an unnecessary belt to suspenders? All I want to do is relay some legal feedback regarding date and name.

>> How long an excerpt is it?

A few paragraphs, I believe.

>> The Heir cannot keep others from quoting from the excerpt (fair
>> use).

How could there be fair use for material in private hands?

>> In what form is the Author using the excerpt (on the Internet, in a
>> book, as part of an anthology?)

In a book.

--DS Received on Tue Feb 28 2006 - 22:15:00 GMT