I have a book, ok more than one, that is falling apart.
It is not a high quality production. but it is a really good book.
So I want to do 2 things:
- preserve it for humanity, and
- i want to read it gain, keeping the pages in order.
Also, without violating copyrights, I want to keep this available
for the rest of humanity, perhaps in digital form. The book is out of print as far as I know, but not out of copyright.
What is a good course of action? Does anyone know?
I know the original author, the publisher of the translation. I don't know if they are still in business. The Copyright of my edition is from a state that is dead (the DDR), and so is the author, God rest his soul.
I just want to read the book again, and I want this preserved. The content and my book.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
Saving a Book
Hi Earthling,
If you just want to preserve the book for yourself, and eventually everyone - scan the book in page by page, and OCR it (optical character recognition). Note, it would be illegal to hand copies around. But not to hold on to it yourself.
If you know the author/publisher, you could check with them about republishing it using print on demand. There are a couple of issues to think about though. Firstly, is the book still under contract to a publisher? Secondly, is the copyright held by the original author, or the translator of the language it is in (a grey area of copyright law, sometimes no-one knows).
If you have permission to do a reprint, it is reasonably easy to republish using Print on Demand. Lulu.com is a very simple and affordable option.
Kind regards,
Greg
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You monkeys only think you're running things
Legal Questions
I would contact the nearest German consulate. Since the land and entities of the DDR were absorbed back into Germany, they would most likely administer the intellectual rights as well. Who knows? Perhaps there could be an opportunity for you to republish.
legal
The legal stuff is pretty obvious. I didn't make that clear in my question, I know.
I have no publishing rights whatsoever, and I don't want them either. I just want to preserve the particular copy of the book, and separately make sure it does not get lost in general.
I have found out that the publisher still exists in some form.
Thanks Greg and Delaiah for the advice. It is helpful and much appreciated.
Another separate question, that Delaiah's comments remind me of, is translations of this book. There does not seem to be an English version. Hmmm. An opportunity perhaps to do some good.
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The large print giveth,
The small print taketh away.
rebinding the book
Hi
Have you considered getting the book rebound. Its not too difficult and if you dont want to do it there are numerous bookbinders around the world which will give you a quote.
What condition is the book in? If you could supply some more details about its condition I might be able to help further
Thanks
Paolo
http://www.spectrallight.com
that's a good idea
If the quality of the paper is good enough, I think Paolo's suggestion of rebinding the book might help you preserve it. Although maybe you would first like to make a digital copy of it.
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It's not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me...
It's all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!
Red Pill Junkie
binders
I looked for bookbinders, and ironically there is one within less than 2 kilometers from where I live. So I will go there and see what they say.
The paper is in good shape, although I believe it is low quality. High wood fiber content and acid probably. It's a mass market hardback. The binding quality is terrible - read the book 3 or 4 times and the pages separate.
The book has sentimental value for me, it was a gift. For the rest of the world it is just another book.
There is another book that I am supposed to have, but I can't find it since the last time I moved, about 3 years ago. It will turn up the next time I move :)
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The large print giveth,
The small print taketh away.