Joyce's Cats of Copenhagen and copyright

flatterie

I hope this is in the right section; perhaps it's more 'Legal Discussion'?

I read on the Ithys Press website that they are retaining the 'economic copyright' of the text of this contentious publication (not just the illustrations and layout etc) in the EU for 25 years. Does that mean that anyone who wishes to publish it in another form needs to ask permission from that publisher?

Mardy Bum

Ithy used it without the consent of the Joyce centre in Zurich which they were none to pleased about. I'd find it strange they can then claim copyright for 25 years. I thought after the 70 year rule it was out in the public domain for good.

flatterie

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Ithy used it without the consent of the Joyce centre in Zurich which they were none to pleased about. I'd find it strange they can then claim copyright for 25 years. I thought after the 70 year rule it was out in the public domain for good.

Yes, I was surprised too; this is what they say on their website:

© Ithys Press holds a 25-year economic copyright in the text of The Cats of Copenhagen in the EU. Ithys Press retains copyright to the title and the designed edition of The Cats of Copenhagen throughout the world.

I find the whole area of copyright very confusing, but I would've thought that the 70 year rule was quite straightforward, for both published and unpublished works.

Mardy Bum

What I think they mean is you cannot use their exact text or designs if you plan on publishing it. However if someone uses the text in Zurich they by-pass Ithy's copyright and so its ok.

PurpleBee

Mardy Bum wrote: »

What I think they mean is you cannot use their exact text or designs if you plan on publishing it. However if someone uses the text in Zurich they by-pass Ithy's copyright and so its ok.

Why are their productions of it so expensive then? I assume from the cost and the limited print run that they are banking on no one else being able to successfully publish a cheaper version.

I really hope they're proven wrong.

Toby Take a Bow

Are the illustrations and the title not the work of whoever designed that particular edition? It would make sense that they could claim copyright on that if that was the case.

With regard to the actual text written by Joyce, I would presume they can't copyright that at all. Kind of confusing the way they've termed their copyright instructions, though. I presume they got the text from the Joyce institute, so it'd be a bit rich of them to prevent you from copying the text yourself.

flatterie

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

Are the illustrations and the title not the work of whoever designed that particular edition? It would make sense that they could claim copyright on that if that was the case.

With regard to the actual text written by Joyce, I would presume they can't copyright that at all. Kind of confusing the way they've termed their copyright instructions, though. I presume they got the text from the Joyce institute, so it'd be a bit rich of them to prevent you from copying the text yourself.

I can understand them claiming copyright on the illustrations etc. However, as you say, the wording is ambiguous, and seems to imply a claim on the copyright of the actual text.

Toby Take a Bow

flatterie wrote: »

I can understand them claiming copyright on the illustrations etc. However, as you say, the wording is ambiguous, and seems to imply a claim on the copyright of the actual text.

Maybe they're hoping people will still associate Joyce with copyright infringement and shy away from trying to do what I can only presume is legal (and if it's illegal, surely what they've done is open to question). Seems dodgy, and I hope someone releases the text for cheap soon.

Carawaystick

Maybe they've changed the text from Joyce, making a derivative work, and only they or the crowd in Zurich know the differences in the two.