Copyright Law and out-of-print books

[Gary73 10]

So "The Parachute Manual" is no longer in print, the author is deceased, and the publisher seems to be out of business.  Does that mean that other people can make copies and sell them? 

[skybytch 273]

Copyright is for the author's entire life plus 70 years.  Doesn't matter if it's out of print or the publisher is out of business, which in this case makes sense since Dan Poynter was Para Publishing.

[pchapman 279]

I notice digitized copies have been going around. Very handy to have backups to my paper copies. At least the copies are free, even when not legal.

[Gary73 10]

Thanks for the responses (and quick ones at that)!  That's about what I figured.  It's a shame for a work like that to be locked up like that.  And with Amazon asking $255 for a copy of a single volume, I can understand people making copies.  Seems like there ought to be a legal way to re-publish a resource as valuable as this.

 

[spdFlyer 5]

You can always lookup who owns the copyright and ask them what kind of royalty they would charge.  Most likely the family owns the copyright. They might just give you permission and you don't have to pay anything.

[Gary73 10]

Thanks; might do that!

[skybytch 273]

5 hours ago, Gary73 said:

And with Amazon asking $255 for a copy of a single volume

Seriously?  Damn. Time to sell my volumes 1 and 2 I guess.

[Gary73 10]

Did some checking.  Poynter's brother now owns the copyright, but he isn't interested in either selling the rights or re-publishing.  WTF?

[BIGUN 1,323]

On 3/15/2019 at 1:27 PM, Gary73 said:

It's a shame for a work like that to be locked up like that.  And with Amazon asking $255 for a copy of a single volume,

You can find either volume in the $50.00 range. i.e., http://www.square1.com/manufacturers/square1/p1073.asp 

[Gary73 10]

Awesome, thanks!

 

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

On 3/20/2019 at 6:25 PM, Gary73 said:

Did some checking.  Poynter's brother now owns the copyright, but he isn't interested in either selling the rights or re-publishing.  WTF?

Is he interested in getting royalties? 

He could allow someone else to publish, keep the copyright, and collect royalties. 

[Gary73 10]

Apparently not.  Makes no sense to me.  Must hate skydiving.  And America.

[BIGUN 1,323]

On 3/25/2019 at 12:18 PM, wolfriverjoe said:

Is he interested in getting royalties? 

He could allow someone else to publish, keep the copyright, and collect royalties. 

He may be honoring his brother's last wishes.