Copyright for "Author Unknown" articles

[koponx]

What is the name of your state? CA

What is the copyright status for those articles / short stories on the internet with "Author unknown" stated. Would I be able to publish them without copyright breach? Thank's

 

[Ozark_Sophist]

The internet makes it easy to seperate author's name and published works. Though a Website may claim "author unknown," it might just mean they didn't take the time to find the author and simply added the work to their website.

What do you mean by publish? To a website? Or in print?

 

[divgradcurl]

What is the name of your state? CA

What is the copyright status for those articles / short stories on the internet with "Author unknown" stated. Would I be able to publish them without copyright breach? Thank's

Unless you have some written evidence that the articles were given over to the public domain, or evidence that the articles were first published in this country prior to 1923, then it is most likely that the works are covered by copyright. If the works were published after 1964 (with copyright notice) or after 1989 (with or without copyright notice), then they are for sure covered by copyright (unless given over to the public domain, in writing). Current copyright term for a work by an unknown or pseuodnymous author is 120 years from date of creation, or 95 years from date of first publication, whichever is longer.

In other words, you need permission from the copyright owner to reprint these articles legally.

 

[koponx]

Re : Copyright for "Author Unknown" articles

Thank's for the replies. Makes perfect sense. What about articles that intendedly stated anonymous by the author? I planned to use them in print, but would the rules be difference for website? Again thank's.

 

[divgradcurl]

Thank's for the replies. Makes perfect sense. What about articles that intendedly stated anonymous by the author? I planned to use them in print, but would the rules be difference for website? Again thank's.

Irrelevant. Even if the writer wished to remain anonymous, he still owns the copyright to the work, and can still enforce the copyright to the work unless the work is explicitly handed over to the public domain -- and that generally requires a written assertation. Also, it doesn't matter if its in a book or on the web -- copyright is still copyright. If you want to be legal, you'll need permission.