International Copyright

George Haven PutnamProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 80K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.International Copyright by George Haven PutnamAuthor: Putnam, George Haven, 1844-1930,Language: English, Class: Z: Bibliography, Library science, Release Date: Sep 16, 2007

Editor's review

This is Putnam's English-language treatise on international copyright, a public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg. The author was long involved in copyright affairs, and the book addresses the practical difficulties of international copyright protection from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century: differences among national laws, translation rights, pirated reprints, and the advancement of international agreements. It is not a modern copyright-law textbook laid out in tidy sections; it is argumentative and rooted in its moment, showing how publishers and authors of the time sought cross-border protection. For readers studying the history of copyright, publishing, or the formation of the international intellectual-property regime, it is a useful primary source. Read it in historical context, distinguish the institutional conditions of the time from today's copyright framework, and avoid applying modern concepts directly. The electronic edition makes it easy to search names, statutes, and cases.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying the history of the international copyright regime and publishing history
Law students interested in late-nineteenth-century intellectual-property debates
Researchers needing a public-domain English primary source on copyright history
Copyright practitioners who want to understand how the regime evolved

Not a good fit for

Practitioners needing a current operational guide to copyright law
General readers seeking an accessible introduction to copyright
Learners unfamiliar with English and without a parallel text

Reading tips

Read the preface and conclusion first to grasp the author's core arguments and whom he is arguing against.
Read alongside a chronology of international copyright agreements to clarify the institutional background.
Compare the cases in the book with the publishing conditions of the time rather than judging them out of context.
Take thematic notes, separating the threads on translation rights, reprint rights, and bilateral agreements.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can this book guide copyright practice today?

Not directly. It addresses international copyright from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, under institutional and legal frameworks very different from today's. Read it as a historical document to understand how the regime evolved, not to look up current rules.

What was Putnam's background?

According to the book's own information, George Haven Putnam was long engaged in copyright affairs, and his discussion reflects the stance of an advocate for publishers' and authors' rights. Note his argumentative angle, but consult reliable biographical sources for details of his life.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

The book uses legal and publishing terminology, and its sentences are formal, so solid English reading ability is advisable. To get the gist, read the preface and conclusion first; for research, be prepared to work patiently through long sentences and historical phrasing.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

George Haven Putnam Author · American · 1844–1930

George Haven Putnam (1844–1930) was an American publisher and writer who led G. P. Putnam's Sons for more than fifty years. He devoted himself to promoting international copyright protection and helped bring about the passage of the American international copyright law in 1891, ideas reflected in his book International Copyright. His writings span both biography and children's stories, including Abraham Lincoln, The Little Gingerbread Man, and several publishing memoirs. Three of his works are held here, commonly classified under inspirational growth. Public information on the details of his life is limited, but it is clear that he combined publishing practice with writing, and was especially influential in advancing the international copyright system.