Need Advice --- yet another Possible Copyright Issue

GrannyGrump · 02-22-2017, 04:39 AM

I ran across a small collection of novellas that I would like to rehab.

The "primary" title The Quest of the Gilt-edged Girl was written by David Hodge and George M. Matheson, two Glasgow journalists writing under the pseudonym of Richard de Lyrienne.

It was published in 1897.

I can't find any biographical data on these two gentlemen. Shall I gamble that they both met their demise before 1947? Or would it be a safer move to give this one a pass?

Advice, please. I just can't decide.

pdurrant · 02-22-2017, 10:46 AM

The "New General Catalogue of Old Books and Authors" lists

David McKillop HODGE (M: fl 1875-1905)

but nothing for George Matheson. It might not even be the right HODGE (although the dates he was writing are plausible).

If you can't find a date of death, and publication was within (say) 80 years of 1947, I think it's safest to give it a pass.

Jellby · 02-22-2017, 04:22 PM

For the purpose of our library, I'll consider "safe" any book first published more than 70 years ago, unless there's reason to believe its author(s) lived longer. In other words, when no biographical information is known, I just apply first publication+70.

GrannyGrump · 02-23-2017, 03:53 AM

well.... one vote for, one against. I will admit, after some deep navel-gazing, I guess I am going to pass it up. IF these guys were only in their early twenties in 1897, they could conceivably have lived until the 1960's. (I doubt they were actually that young, although the humor is a bit sophomoric in places.) As a point of reference, the fellow whose book they parodied, Richard Le Gallienne (Quest of the Golden Girl, 1896), died in 1947.

GrannyGrump · 02-23-2017, 10:58 AM

AND @ pdurrant --- Thank you for that link --- wonderful resource! and google never mentioned it to me...

Jellby · 02-25-2017, 04:00 AM

What is your concern? Are you worried about being allowed to upload it here? I think that, regardless of our possible disagreement with general policies, most moderators would agree that we can allow this in the library, 120 years after publication looks pretty safe (and we have many other works in similar situations that have already been implicitly approved by others). Are you afraid of being targeted by a lawsuit? The work is PD in the US (published before 1923), I don't know about Japan, but I'd assume it's good too. Are you afraid that MR could be the target of a lawsuit? In the worst case we'd receive a takedown notice, and remove the book; but this is unlikely, the work being PD in the US (and it's from the US these things tend to come from)

GrannyGrump · 02-27-2017, 01:49 AM

Hi Jellby
Thanks for soothing my nerves. No, not worried about an actual lawsuit, but just don't want to get MR into a hassle.

[ Japan is Life+50. Sensible folks, the Japanese.

]

I will probably go ahead and do this book after all.

02-22-2017, 04:39 AM	#1
GrannyGrump Obsessively Dedicated... Posts: 3,200 Karma: 34978132 Join Date: May 2011 Location: JAPAN (US expatriate) Device: Sony PRS-T2, ADE on PC	Need Advice --- yet another Possible Copyright Issue I ran across a small collection of novellas that I would like to rehab. The "primary" title The Quest of the Gilt-edged Girl was written by David Hodge and George M. Matheson, two Glasgow journalists writing under the pseudonym of Richard de Lyrienne. It was published in 1897. I can't find any biographical data on these two gentlemen. Shall I gamble that they both met their demise before 1947? Or would it be a safer move to give this one a pass? Advice, please. I just can't decide.

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02-22-2017, 10:46 AM	#2
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 72,502 Karma: 309060442 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	The "New General Catalogue of Old Books and Authors" lists David McKillop HODGE (M: fl 1875-1905) but nothing for George Matheson. It might not even be the right HODGE (although the dates he was writing are plausible). If you can't find a date of death, and publication was within (say) 80 years of 1947, I think it's safest to give it a pass.

02-22-2017, 04:22 PM	#3
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,536 Karma: 19000001 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	For the purpose of our library, I'll consider "safe" any book first published more than 70 years ago, unless there's reason to believe its author(s) lived longer. In other words, when no biographical information is known, I just apply first publication+70.

02-23-2017, 03:53 AM	#4
GrannyGrump Obsessively Dedicated... Posts: 3,200 Karma: 34978132 Join Date: May 2011 Location: JAPAN (US expatriate) Device: Sony PRS-T2, ADE on PC	well.... one vote for, one against. I will admit, after some deep navel-gazing, I guess I am going to pass it up. IF these guys were only in their early twenties in 1897, they could conceivably have lived until the 1960's. (I doubt they were actually that young, although the humor is a bit sophomoric in places.) As a point of reference, the fellow whose book they parodied, Richard Le Gallienne (Quest of the Golden Girl, 1896), died in 1947.

02-23-2017, 10:58 AM	#5
GrannyGrump Obsessively Dedicated... Posts: 3,200 Karma: 34978132 Join Date: May 2011 Location: JAPAN (US expatriate) Device: Sony PRS-T2, ADE on PC	AND @ pdurrant --- Thank you for that link --- wonderful resource! and google never mentioned it to me...

02-25-2017, 04:00 AM	#6
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,536 Karma: 19000001 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	What is your concern? Are you worried about being allowed to upload it here? I think that, regardless of our possible disagreement with general policies, most moderators would agree that we can allow this in the library, 120 years after publication looks pretty safe (and we have many other works in similar situations that have already been implicitly approved by others). Are you afraid of being targeted by a lawsuit? The work is PD in the US (published before 1923), I don't know about Japan, but I'd assume it's good too. Are you afraid that MR could be the target of a lawsuit? In the worst case we'd receive a takedown notice, and remove the book; but this is unlikely, the work being PD in the US (and it's from the US these things tend to come from)

02-27-2017, 01:49 AM	#7
GrannyGrump Obsessively Dedicated... Posts: 3,200 Karma: 34978132 Join Date: May 2011 Location: JAPAN (US expatriate) Device: Sony PRS-T2, ADE on PC	Hi Jellby Thanks for soothing my nerves. No, not worried about an actual lawsuit, but just don't want to get MR into a hassle. [ Japan is Life+50. Sensible folks, the Japanese. ] I will probably go ahead and do this book after all.

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