Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 15/09/2005 02:20, Kevin W. Woodruff wrote:

> Gentlemen:
>
> Here is a page giving  the terms of copyright and
> public domain. I hope this clears up the confusion
>
> http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/training/Hirtle_Public_Domain.htm
>
>  
Thank you. To clarify this, the edition of Gesenius-Kautzsch-Cowley in 
question was "Published in the United States by Oxford University Press, 
New York" as a reprint of the "Second English edition 1910". There is no 
explicit copyright notice. The issues may be a bit complicated because 
the date of publication in the USA is unstated, and in fact may be later 
than 1910. But presumably a subsequent US publication of a reprint does 
not create a new copyright. Also your list makes no mention of works 
published in English between 1909 and 1922 which are not "Published in 
compliance with US formalities" - and such formalities do not apply here 
as they require a formal copyright notice. Nevertheless it seems clear 
that in every case a work published before 1923 whose authors have been 
dead for more than 70 years is in the public domain. The only possible 
copyright claim on the book might come from the rules described at 
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/c-fineprint.html, but these 
probably apply only to publications in languages other than English.

Given the highly tenuous nature of any claims to copyright which might 
exist, for Oxford University Press and the estates of Gesenius, Kautzsch 
and Cowley, I would suggest that people treat the site at 
http://www.biblecentre.net/ot/ges/gr/hegr-Index.html as legitimate until 
or unless Oxford etc take any action against it, but also take some care 
about republishing this material themselves.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/



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