copyright

Now you can conveniently find out which books are protected by copyright. Says Google:

…we believe this is the best and most comprehensive set of renewal records available today. These records are free and in the public domain, and we hope you're able to use them to determine the copyright status of books that interest you.

Strange but true…

The suit, filed by Larry Townsend's attorney for copyright infringement, stems from a dispute over unpaid fees allegedly owed the author by his distributor, the Oklahoma-based Nazca Plains Corp. Nonetheless, the suit charges that Mitzel, along with over 40 other booksellers…infringed on Townsend's copyright by selling the author's books in his store.

He starts with: Rowling "feels like her words were stolen," said lawyer Dan Shallman. Well, heck, I feel like the plot of my novel Ender's Game was stolen by J.K. Rowling.

And ends with: Rowling has now shown herself to lack a brain, a heart and courage. Clearly, she needs to visit Oz.

The rest is vitriolic, brilliant commentary.

Romance writer Cassie Edwards and publisher Signet Books have decided to break up after allegations emerged in January that in she lifted passages in several of her books from other sources. The author told the Associated Press that she indeed "takes" material from other works, but said she didn't know she was supposed to credit her sources.

“It’s not about money,” concluded Rowling on the stand. “There’s a measure of principle at stake. And I’m determined to have my say as an author.” All in all, in our opinion, a fairly effective direct examination.

Will online breaches of copyright kill the printed book - or bring it to a new audience?

Girl with a Pearl Earring author Tracy Chevalier, chair of the UK Society of Authors—and gadfly, apparently—can hear the death knells now. Guy Dammann argues the point.

It's amazing to me how many people are confused by the difference between copyright and copy write. Here, we look at the origins of the words, the very different meanings and some of the concepts.

“Are you buying a crippled license to intellectual property when you download, or are you buying an honest-to-God book?” Good question. The answer is no…and yes.

Penguin is planning to offer audiobooks that are free of digital copyright protection technology, which will allow buyers to play them on any digital device, dismissing fears that they could become the latest target for online pirates.

Another step in the right direction.

Cory Doctorow on the usefulness of the term ‘intellectual property’. He calls it “a dangerous euphemism that leads us to all sorts of faulty reasoning about knowledge.” He goes on to say that the stuff we call intellectual property, though similar to property, is simply knowledge and can’t be governed by property laws. Knowledge, in fact, can’t be owned. An interesting argument.