[pd-discuss] Fwd: Correcting the Database

[Peter B. Hirtle]

How did you determine that this work is in the public domain in the first place?

If you are confident that your public domain determination is accurate, you might ask the person to provide some evidence that you were mistaken.  In this case, it might be the renewal number for the copyright.  If you are not sure or don't want to investigate, then you should remove it from your database.

For what it is worth, I suspect the book is in the public domain, though it might be difficult to prove.  After a quick check, I don't see any renewal record for either the 1929 publication or for the Magazine of Wisconsin History (where it also appeared).  There is a new copyright registration record for the 2nd edition in 1969, but renewal of the original publication would have had to occur in roughly 1967.  It is likely that the 1929 content entered the public domain prior to the publication of the 1969 edition.  

One option you might want to follow is to use the Hathi Trust feedback link at the top of the page for the record for the book to ask them to check on the copyright status if you feel that it is in the public domain.  Michigan will follow its rigorous procedures to determine if the work has indeed entered the public domain in the U.S.

Peter

Peter B. Hirtle    
CUL Intellectual Property Officer
Digital Scholarship Services
Cornell University Library                    
2B53 Kroch Library                              
Ithaca, NY  14853
peter.hirtle at cornell.edu
t.  607.255-4033 
f.  607/255-9524
http://www.copyright.cornell.edu
Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for Digitization for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums:
http://hdl.handle.net/1813/14142




-----Original Message-----
From: pd-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org [mailto:pd-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org] On Behalf Of Rufus Pollock
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 11:51 AM
To: pd-discuss
Cc: Philip Harper
Subject: [pd-discuss] Fwd: Correcting the Database

For people's information. What should we do about this kind of thing?

Rufus

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Edward J. Valleau <removed ...>
Date: 7 January 2011 16:40
Subject: Correcting the Database
To: info at okfn...


Hello:

I would like to find out how to correct an inaccuracy in your database. (You really need a button on each page just for this
purpose.)

The book The Life of a Lumberman by John Emmett Nelligan had it's copyrights renewed in 1969, and was republished by the North Star Press publishing company under the name A White Pine Empire.

Please tell me how to correct this.

Edward Valleau

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