Nutty's correct on all counts - 1924 was the big divisive year, thanks to Der Maus. The big profitable estates and corps are really big on the "mine forever! mine! MINE!" school of copyright enforcement.
And when you use the IP word - "intellectual property" - cans of worms the size of Cthulu get opened.
The permission specialists are one way to go. It's a lot easier if you have an agent or publisher for your work already; as harrowing as trying to track down the niece of the second cousin twice removed/legatee of Millay's estate was (we were on publishing deadline, and she just stayed invisible for way longer than was comfortable), it would have been far worse without the official letterhead of Pan UK to back it up.
The big profitable estates and corps are really big on the "mine forever! mine! MINE!" school of copyright enforcement.
I always wondered where WB got that aspect of Daffy Duck's character.
I always wondered where WB got that aspect of Daffy Duck's character.
Heh. I seem to remember a small TV documentary on the history of the Warner Brothers cartoons, and the literaly loonytoons who came up with my favourite cartoon critters ever, and there was a lot of deep, deep digging at the Disney boys.
That whole copyright thing - bringing this even more firmly back on topic - is a lynchpin in Kavalier and Klay, as well.
God, that was good.(But now, stupid me, I'm wrestling with Infinite Jest which is making me feel like a cartoon of a blonde woman. But there are assassins in wheelchairs in it.)
But there are assassins in wheelchairs in it.
Dude, what's not to love?
Connie, I think the SR story you're thinking of is "Melancholy Elephants".
Mystery novel rec: Last weekend a friend of mine tormented me by reading a novel by Donald Westlake in front of me and giggling. When I finally wrenched Don't Ask from her hands, I loved it. Tonight I'll be heading to the library in the hopes of finding much much more by him.
Oh, gosh, Westlake is a scream. And, yes! That's the story. I knew it was something about elephants.
Hmmm. I was given Don't Ask for Christmas, and have tried three times to get into it. No luck so far.
Maybe I'll give it another pop.
I like it, but it's not so much like reading as translating, despite still being in English. And if nothing else, I will build upper body strength hefting it because even in paperback it's big and heavy.
the only Westlake I've ever read was "Money For Nothing" and it didn't grab me. Mayeb after I finish the Stebenow I will give him another shot.
I finished my little pulp book from the sixties "Assault on a Queen" - I had no idea when I bought or while reading it that it had been made into a movie starring Sinatra. The book was ok, nothing great, but enjoyable and a page turner.
Now reading the nonfiction "Random Family" for bookclub. It is an in-depth study of a small group growing up in the Bronx in the 80s and 90s. It follows a group of people, focusing on two girls and their families and friends, for 10 years. I'm only 50 pages in, but so far it is pretty depressing, also gripping, but more of a book I would have read for a sociology class than what I read on my own. Luckily it reads more like a novel than a textbook, so it is not boring.
