David, if you and Kim can pass some tips my way, I'd be most appreciative. I emailed our publicist Claire a couple of days back about organizing a reading and book release party here in Austin, and I haven't heard squat. I mean, I can do it myself, but it would be nice if they had some advice for me on that. I might try John Mark next, because he's at least emailed the group once or twice.

Also, I've started reviewing all of the 33 1/3 books I've read over at my secondary blog: [link]

Congrats on the kudos, Hec. I know nothing about nothing where Waites or music talk is concerned, but it seems that people who do like what they're reading.

Check out the very cool cover for Michael Chabon's Maps and Legends

I had never heard the term "belly band" until this very moment. What an auspicious introduction. A comment on that page mentions a Craig Thomas CD design for Menomena which sounds like something I need to see in 3D.

the front cover has eight possible permutations, four when the CD is in the case, and four when it's in the player (it'll be there a lot)-- and that's not counting all of the slight variations you can get by rotating the disc when it's in the tray

Hec, I totally plan to start with your book and then Corwood's - and perhaps I will continue as you suggested.

My feeling is that lots of collectors, being completists, will want to start with #1 and go on. And having so many out, all at once, makes it a bit overwhelming.

Remember back in ... January? February? ... when there was a fuss about Cassie Edwards plagiarizing all over the place? well, it seems her publisher, Signet, has now severed the relationship. The copyrights are reverting to her.

Question - how valid is the copyright on plagiarized material?

Signet, has now severed the relationship. The copyrights are reverting to her.

I saw that this am too!

Question - how valid is the copyright on plagiarized material?

bwah!

ION - just finished Winter's Tale. Liked it very much. Thanks for the rec!

how valid is the copyright on plagiarized material?

Copyright doesn't fall apart if it's not enforced the way trademark does. If you quietly ignore copyright violations for years and years, and then suddenly decide to enforce them, you are totally within your rights. (Which is why Jon Stewart clips used to be all over YouTube, and disappeared in a twinkling when Comedy Central decided to host its own video site.)

If Edwards quoted more than is permissible from any given work still under copyright, she could be sued for violating somebody else's copyright.

It's a hassle and an expense, so I don't think Mr. Black Toed Ferret would ever bother, but if the grandkids of one of the Indian compendia authors from whom she plagiarized liberally were to go hog-wild, he/she could potentially go to town on Edwards and win considerable damages. Like, she has profited a whole hell of a lot from mis-use of someone else's copyright. If Hog Wild Grandkid were to get just 5% of her lifetime revenue from the 5 books in which she plagiarized that one specific work, that's probably a fair amount of dough.

(Not all her plagiarism was of copyrighted works, but some of it was.)

My point was how valid is Edwards' copyright (trying to make a joke ... maybe I should have resorted to an emoticon) (that's another joke).

I'm hoping various and sundry people will go after her - she's been lifting other people's work for 20+ years, and she's made bunches of money. I don't think the excuse of "well, she's 70-however-many years old" is going to play well, and I don't think her own "well, isn't that how you do research?" will either.

In related news, Romantic Times had its convention/conference last week, including a session on how to do research without plagiarizing the material. It was, seemingly, well attended and people paid attention, took notes, even.

What, Toddson, you don't want a lecture on copyright? I'm sure I have my powerpoints right here somewhere...

Seriously, wouldn't it be great if somebody made a pile of money off her, at this late date? Double extra points if the plaintiff is some flavor of Indian, and shows up in court wearing a Savile Row suit and a very short haircut.

"Hey lady! I got your frelling we-sha-sha right here!"

Actually, I think a lot of the info about copyright law was pretty thoroughly discussed back when this first came up.

And I would LOVE it if a whole bunch of people representing original copyright holders - including a frelling Pulitzer Prize winning novel - all filed civil suits and got lots and lots of money from her. Perhaps the court could order that she attend classes on copyright infringement and plagiarism.

I think the court should order her to walk across the state of Kansas while wearing rawhide underpants. And when she gets to the other side of Kansas, she should have to butcher a fresh buffalo and cook dinner.