General Category > General Discussion
Public Domain Burden of Proof
Yoc:
Yep, first I'd heard of it as well. But I'm not a die hard fan of the series.
Roygbiv666:
Though I do remember (being a nerd I always checked copyright dates, mainly to learn Roman numerals I think) and the episodes usually have a copyright date in the 1970s (1978?) earliest. Hmm.
--- Quote from: bchat on August 21, 2013, 09:01:52 AM ---
--- Quote from: John C on August 21, 2013, 04:36:56 AM ---Sorry, I thought that was common knowledge.
--- End quote ---
Interesting, and something I had never heard before (Star Trek episodes possibly being Public Domain). Learn something new every day!
--- End quote ---
John C:
--- Quote from: Roygbiv666 on August 21, 2013, 11:26:22 AM ---Though I do remember (being a nerd I always checked copyright dates, mainly to learn Roman numerals I think) and the episodes usually have a copyright date in the 1970s (1978?) earliest. Hmm.
--- End quote ---
Yep, and the release of DiscoVision (the Laserdisc brand name in North America--wonder why the format didn't catch on...) also happens to be 1978. So, the date either comes from when they sent in a registration to have standing to sue the pirates or from their publication of the official Laserdisc itself. If the latter case can be proven, it would change things considerably, I'd think.
I probably wouldn't risk building a media empire on the distinction, myself. After all, Paramount/Viacom/CBS has a court victory they're pretty sure validates their theory that syndication isn't publication, and they'd probably be willing to waste a few million dollars bankrupting a company that insisted otherwise. But it could be an interesting project for someone, some day, who has nothing better to do than show up in court to make a point.
A smart defense lawyer could probably even make a good case out of the fact that they fix the copyrights after a while. If airing and syndication don't constitute publishing, then why put a 1968 copyright on something that won't be published until technology changes drastically?
Mostly, though, it's one of those unspoken possibilities. Sort of like The Lord of the Rings (but only in the United States), since someone printed too many copies overseas and imported them without a formal copyright registration. I never quite understood the details, but because of the laws at the time, once the publisher crossed some threshold, they lost copyright protection. Tolkien issued new editions done right ASAP, but nobody ever really questioned if the contents of that edition would then be public domain, too. And how much were subsequent editions really changed?
Roygbiv666:
I have lost all respect for you.
;)
--- Quote from: Yoc on August 21, 2013, 09:39:34 AM ---Yep, first I'd heard of it as well. But I'm not a die hard fan of the series.
--- End quote ---
John C:
To be fair, we are talking about the intersection of Forbidden Planet, Wagon Train, and Gulliver's Travels. Science-fiction cowboys with sneaky social satire tend not to attract a huge audience...
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