Problem regarding a contributor’s pages within a book

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TND
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue 21. May 2019, 14:57

Problem regarding a contributor’s pages within a book

Post by TND »

Hi Everyone

I’ve signed up with Legamus to hopefully record a book that I wouldn’t be allowed to produce with Librivox but now discover that I might have a problem.

I bought an (old) second-hand book recently and the publication date is given as 1930 and I know that the author died in 1935 – so far, so good!

However, the book also contains a two page contribution by a local naturalist who died in 1986.

These two pages give a brief summary of the molluscs found in the Norfolk Broads and a list of the various species that the naturalist has encountered there. In theory, these pages could be omitted without having an adverse effect on the book itself.

Would I be able to record this book for Legamus, given that this contributor only died some twenty-three years ago?

Any thoughts or comments would be really welcome.

Thanks

TND
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Viktor
Posts: 602
Joined: Mon 4. Jul 2005, 01:24
Location: France

Re: Problem regarding a contributor’s pages within a book

Post by Viktor »

Hello TND!

Very sorry for this late answer! I'd say, it all depends on how sure you are to be able to separate the recent contributions.

Only if you are 100% sure to identify the sections that have been written exclusively by the author who died in 1935, we can take it. If the local naturalist really only did those two pages which you'll omit, everything should be fine.

But if that naturalist might also have edited the other pages, no matter how slightly - even if he just shortened some bits - then the whole thing has to be considered to be under copyright. The best solution would be to get another, really old copy, that only contains the original text. But I guess that's hard to get?

Best wishes,
Viktor.
TND
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue 21. May 2019, 14:57

Re: Problem regarding a contributor’s pages within a book

Post by TND »

Thanks for the reply Viktor.

Since there is no possible way of ascertaining whether the naturalist in question had also been involved in editing parts of the book, I will have to abandon the idea of recording this book at present.

So, I’ll put it away in my ‘For Future Recording’ file with a note to take it out & dust it off in thirty-eight years time. Something I will look forward doing in my centenary year! :)

Best Regards

TND
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