I think the *scariest* thing about this whole deal is that I keep finding myself agreeing with bowerbird.
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<div>1 - Copyright and Public Domain are opposite concepts. &nbsp;Once a work is public domain, you *cannot* get a copyright on it by republishing it.</div>
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<div>2 - The rogue sellers, while not necessarily nice, are perfectly legal. &nbsp;In fact, there is precedent. &nbsp;I used to go to computer expos all the time back in the 90s and there was always one guys selling CDs full of stuff he downloaded off the Internet. &nbsp;And a PG cd was always there (with the PG boilerplate conveniently missing to get around the trademark).</div>
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<div>3 - I also think we should have (we as in PG) "published" everything to Amazon et al as soon as it became obviously this new-fangled ebook reader fad was gonna stick around! &nbsp;:) &nbsp;I also always thought it would have been a good idea (and small income stream) to publish PG texts through a print-on-demand shop like lulu.com. &nbsp;The problem was always finding the time and volunteer to do it.</div>
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<div>Now, since I've agreed publically with bowerbird three times, I'm gonna go find my family members and kiss and hug them goodbye, because I'm pretty sure this is the sign of the coming apocalypse.</div>
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<div>Josh</div>
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<p>On Dec 1, 2010, Bowerbird@aol.com wrote:</p>
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<blockquote class="email_quote" style="border-left: 2px solid #267fdb; margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: #000000; font-size: medium;">keith said:<br /> &gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I believe most do not get the point.<br /> <br /> no, it's you who does not get the point.&nbsp;  seriously.<br /> <br /> <br /> &gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Works of Shakespeare are out of copyright.<br /> &gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;  If I produce a book containing his Works and sell it. <br /> &gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;  My book gains copyright!<br /> <br /> no, your book does _not_ gain copyright.<br /> <br /> at least not in the united states, which is<br /> where p.g. is located, so that's the set of<br /> laws which p.g. is obligated to follow, eh?<br /> <br /> <br /> &gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Meaning that one can use my book for <br /> &gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;  producing other books based on my content.<br /> <br /> i think you probably left out a "not" in that sentence.<br /> <br /> if your reprinting of shakespeare contained content<br /> that was _your_ work -- unique to _your_ edition --<br /> then _that_ part of the book is under your copyright.<br /> <br /> for instance, you might have composed your own<br /> preface to the book, over which you'd own copyright.<br /> nobody could use that preface without your consent.<br /> <br /> but bill's work is still squarely in the public-domain,<br /> and can be used -- or sold! -- by anyone else at all.<br /> <br /> <br /> &gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Furthermore, being in the public domain and <br /> &gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;  having copyright and two different things.<br /> <br /> and you're completely wrong again on this, keith.<br /> <br /> if the period of copyright has elapsed on a work,<br /> </span><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: #000000; font-size: medium;">it's public-domain; one is the obverse of the other.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: #000000; font-size: medium;">(a work can also be placed into the public-domain,<br /> in advance of elapsing its copyright period, but only<br /> by the official _owner_ of the copyright for that work.)<br /> <br /> (and we might also have the situation coming up soon<br /> where the court deciding the google book settlement<br /> decides to _shift_ copyright on _orphaned_works_ to<br /> the entity that's formed to administer the settlement,<br /> which would overlay another complication on all this,<br /> but that's not something we need to worry about here.)<br /> <br /> again, things are a little bit different in germany,<br /> and that is probably what is confusing you here...<br /> <br /> -bowerbird<br /> </span><br />
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