Plagiarism

[s.celliers]

Hi!
I would lile to find out more about plagiarism.

I have a book that I would like to convert to an audio version. The book was originally published in the 1920's, California. The author passed away in 1970. The book was translated to Afrikaans, but not sure when. But in a very 'old' and outdated way of speaking.

Do you think that I can rewrite te story in a more modern way, with modern elements (like a remote control car and not an old wind-up car) and use more common South African names? I would like to record this and sell it as audio books.

 

[adjusterjack]

Have a copyright attorney look into this for you.

 

[quincy]

Hi!
I would lile to find out more about plagiarism.

I have a book that I would like to convert to an audio version. The book was originally published in the 1920's, California. The author passed away in 1970. The book was translated to Afrikaans, but not sure when. But in a very 'old' and outdated way of speaking.

Do you think that I can rewrite te story in a more modern way, with modern elements (like a remote control car and not an old wind-up car) and use more common South African names? I would like to record this and sell it as audio books.

What is the name of your state?

When in the 1920s was the book published?

If your story can be seen as a derivative of the original and the work is not yet in the public domain, you would need to acquire permission from the holder of the rights (possibly the author's estate). If your story is transformative, on the other hand, it can be a fair use of the original work even if the work is not yet in the public domain. If the translated version is newer, it would still have copyrights that could be enforced.

The specific book needs to be known to determine what rights might still exist in the work and whether permission will be needed to use it.

You can have an IP attorney in your area review the facts and let you know where you stand legally with your proposed use.