Book People Archive

Re: Copyright restrictions

Sylvia D Cox wrote:
> 
> Hello, my friends,
> 
> I have long been a member of this list, but don't usually write. Also, I
> am entering the 'Net from a different address at the moment. Today I
> have a question.
> 
> When I access the Books Online version of _Animal Farm_, it warns that
> access is denied in the U. S. due to recent changes in copyright law. It
> also warns that some European countries have passed similar
> laws......How can I find out which European countries?
> 
> I am living in the Netherlands, and would like to access the site if
> possible, but I am not yet familiar with Dutch law. Does anyone know?

Thanks for writing.  I've updated my pages so that now, on the
"warning page" for Animal Farm and other books, there's a link
to my page with information on various countries' copyright laws.
I've also updated that page as well, so that it points to a current
version of Dutch copyright law (in English and Dutch).

That law now says that copyrights run for 70 years after the death
of an author (see Article 37).  So it would appear that _Animal
Farm_ is still copyrighted in the Netherlands, since Orwell died
in 1950.

Most of the European Union countries now have similar copyright terms.
A EU directive a few years back
said that "life+70" should be the standard for EU member
states (most of them previously had "life+50 years" terms), but not
all member states had yet complied, last I checked.  The Netherlands,
however, apparently has.

John Mark Ockerbloom
Editor, The On-Line Books Page
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/