Re: ISBNs

From: <ArborLaw[_at_]aol.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 13:39:19 -0400 (EDT)

On 4/18/97, Carol Cricow <carol[_at_]yujean.com> wrote:
>
> I am working on an agreement under which my client will be writing
> brochures and books that will detail an educational program based on
> another person's training programs. My client is willing to give the
> other person the copyright and we'll do that by contract.
>
> My question is: my client who is a publisher insists that he wants to
> "own" the ISBNs for the various products that result. Can one "own"
> an ISBN number and what does "ownership" thereof entitled one to? He
> seems quite determined and I can't see any reason not to put it in the
> contract but I'm wondering what it will really mean in real life.

I don't know about "ownership" of an ISBN per se, but the components of the ISBN include a number which identifies the publisher. Perhaps what the publisher wants is some kind of right to revert the numbers or prevent them from being used again in some way (which would be a violation of the ISBN agency policies).

Carol Shepherd
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   Carol Ruth Shepherd                          arborlaw[_at_]aol.com
                                         
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==--====-==-=-=-==--=--====--=-=-=-====---===-=-=-====---===---= Received on Fri Apr 18 1997 - 17:41:47 GMT