Commentary: Copyright laws are increasingly for the protection of monopolies, not for the protection of artists
In a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Sylvester Stallone recounted how he would, to help him learn the craft of writing, record the audio from movies in movie theaters.
Here’s the clip (the confession begins at 6 minutes 16 seconds):
Today, under Canadian Law (section 432 of the Criminal Code) this action would see Stallone sentenced to “a term of not more than two years” in prison.
Now you have to understand, this is not for the purposes of sale – that would get Stallone “not more than five years” in prison.
Learning the craft of writing scripts, like Stallone did, from the soundtracks of movies would make him a criminal today.
Artists who go to museums in Canada to sketch great works of art are still safe. It is only scriptwriters who go to films and record dialogue that are criminals.
The copyright laws that have been creeping into Canada from the USA are for the protection of existing copyright monopolies, and not for the protection of artists.
[Canadian Criminal code section 432]
Posted by Jesse Willis
The Crawlers by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN
The Crawlers by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.
As you can see in a scan of the renewal form RE0000190631, pictured above, the renewer has stated that the story was published in the July 1955 issue of Imagination. This is completely false. A listing of the table of contents for Imagination, July 1955 is HERE. And there is indeed a Philip K. Dick short story in that issue. That story is entitled The Chromium Fence, but it is a completely different story. Ironically, it was renewed on the same document containing the deliberate fraud (see the scan below):
Because it was not renewed in its 28th year.The Crawlers by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Here is a |PDF| of it.
Posted by Jesse Willis
Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN
Sales Pitch, a short story by Philip K. Dick, is PUBLIC DOMAIN.
This was not previously known due to a fraudulent attempt to renew the copyright after it had expired.
Sales Pitch was first published in Future Science Fiction, June 1954.
Here is the table of contents for that magazine. It shows its presence in that issue:
The false claim of renewal, as evidenced by THIS renewal form is revealing. I’ve highlighted the relevant data here:
No magazine named “Future Magazine, Vol 17, No 6, June ’55” actually exists. Future Science Fiction produced only one issue in 1955, issue #28. The table of contents for it is HERE. You will note it does not contain any stories by Philip K. Dick.
In order for Sales Pitch to be still under copyright it would have had to have been properly renewed within it’s 28th year after publication. It was not.
Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick is therefore PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Here’s a |PDF| made from a scan of Future Science Fiction, June 1954.
Here is an |ETEXT| version.
Posted by Jesse Willis
The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN
The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.
This novelette was published in 1954, in the 2nd issue of Science Fiction Stories.
The story’s copyright was not properly renewed. In fact, a falsified renewal was attempted in 1983. The Dick estate claimed that the story was published in Science Fiction Stories, May 1955. This is false (as can be seen in a listing of the table of contents for that issue HERE).
Indeed, here is the falsified claimed renewal for The Turning Wheel:
Here is the table of contents showing where The Turning Wheel was first published, Science Fiction Stories No.2:
By 1983, the time of the renewal attempt, the agent for the Philip K. Dick Testamentary Trust, could not legally renew stories published in 1954. By 1983 any stories from 1954 would have already become PUBLIC DOMAIN. So when the renewal form was submitted the publication dates and magazine issues for many Philip K. Dick stories (including The Turning Wheel) were changed to make them look as if they were eligible for renewal.
The renewal attempt was fraudulent.
The Turning Wheel is PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Here is a |PDF| of The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick
Posted by Jesse Willis
Meddler by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN
Meddler, a short story by Philip K. Dick, is PUBLIC DOMAIN.
This was not previously known due to a fraudulent attempt to renew the copyright after it had expired.
Here is the evidence.
Meddler was first published in Future Science Fiction, October 1954.
Here is the table of contents for that magazine. It shows the presence of Meddler in that issue:
The copyright renewal form (HERE) states that Meddler was first published in “Future, October 1955”. But no such magazine exists. In fact, in 1955 only one issue of Future Science Fiction was actually published in the USA. That issue is stated as being issue #28. By counting backwards on the ISFDB.org listing for Future Science Fiction publications (starting with Future Combined with Science Fiction Stories, May/June 1950, volume 1, number 1) we can see that the one issue published in 1955 was the 28th issue. Indeed, there was no volume 17 issue 10 of Future ever published and the magazine registered as B00000559886 does not exist. Here is the table of contents for issue #28 of Future SF, the only magazine titled “Future” published in the United States in 1955 (note the lack of Meddler by Philip K. Dick):
Meddler by Philip K. Dick is therefore PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Here is a |PDF| of Meddler.
Posted by Jesse Willis
Souvenir by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN
Souvenir, a short story by Philip K. Dick, is PUBLIC DOMAIN.
This was not previously known due to a fraudulent attempt to renew the copyright after it had expired.
Souvenir was first published in Fantastic Universe, October 1954.
Here is the table of contents for that magazine. It shows its presence in that issue:
The fraudulent attempt at renewal (evidence HERE) attests that Souvenir was first published in Fantastic Universe, October 1955. It was demonstrably not. Here is the table of contents for that issue:
In order to be protected by copyright Souvenir would have had to have been properly renewed in its 28th year. It was not.
Souvenir by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Here is a |PDF| of Souvenir by Philip K. Dick.
Posted by Jesse Willis
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