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Rainy Night

Rainy Night

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How do I know if something is in the public domain?

I’m 30 pages into an adaptation of a play that was written outside of the United States in 1920 and translated and published in the US in 1923. Before going any further with this I want to be sure that I am free to sell it. My understanding has always been that works published prior to 1978 were protected for 75 years, but then I read that in 1998 that period was extended 20 years now making the works protected for 95 years.

Does anyone know the law on this and if I’m free to adapt this work or who I should contact to find out if this is still under copyright?

Or should I just write it and worry about all that later?
 
Joe Calabrese

Joe Calabrese

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Although the original work done by Capek is not copyrightable based on it's original date, here are all current works copyrighted based on or translated from the original work.

1. Registration Number: PAu-452-752
Title: Robots / Aguado.
Description: 1 v. + 1 sound cassette.
Note: Musical play.
Based on R. U. R.--Rossum's Universal Robots by Karel
Capek.Rossum's Universal Robots
Claimant: Harry Aguado
Created: 1982
Registered: 4Nov82
Author on © Application: Harry Kline Aguado.
Claim Limit: NEW MATTER: revisions, additions, lyrics & score.

2. Registration Number: PAu-1-834-283
Title: Men of steel : an electronic melodrama in two acts / English version by Paul Selver & Nigel Playfair ; rev. with libretto by Joel D. Eis , 1946-.
Note: Script & lyrics. An adaptation of Rossum's universal robots by Karel Capek.
Claimant: Joel D. Eis
Created: 1993
Registered: 7Feb94
Claim Limit: NEW MATTER: additions & revisions to script; new song lyrics.

*
3. Registration Number: TX-5-952-970
Title: RUR : Rossum's universal robots / Karel Capek ; translated by Claudia Novack ; introd. by Ivan Klima.
Imprint: New York : Penguin Books, 2004.
Description: 84 p.
Series: Penguin classics
Note: Play.
Claimant: acClaudia Novack (a.k.a. acClaudia Novack-Jones)
Created: 2003
Published: 30Mar04
Registered: 23Apr04
Previous Related Version: Prev. reg. 1988, PAu 1-181-584.
Claim Limit: NEW MATTER: revisions to English translation.

Number 1 is a film and that may cause some problems for you.
Number 2 is an unpublished book or play and I wouldn't worry about it.
Number 3 is a published book and I would get it to make sure nothing of theirs (which is new from the original work) ends up in yours.

I wouldn't worry about doing an adaptation as long as any new material you add isn't in Number 3 or 1.
 
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