Disney’s 1998 copyright term extension expires this year and Big Content’s lobbyists say they’re not going to try for another one

In 1998, Disney led an entertainment industry lobbying effort that resulted in the term of copyright being extended by 20 years, even for works that had already been created — a law with an incoherent basis, given that the US copyright system is constitutionally constrained to passing laws to promote new creative works (giving creators more copyright on works they’ve already created doesn’t get them to make new ones, and it reduces the ability of new artists to remix existing works, the way Disney did with the Grimm’s fairy tales). (more…)

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Disney’s 1998 copyright term extension expires this year and Big Content’s lobbyists say they’re not going to try for another one

New Voynich Manuscript reproduction uses new photos, looks great

An “authorized” reproduction of the legendary Voynich Manuscript is finally available in print form , published by Yale University from new photographs taken for the purpose. Yale’s Beinecke Library owns the document and has taken its sweet time putting out a decent art book. The quality is better than the popular “unauthorized” edition published last year; that one uses older scans widely available on the web, but I suppose was good enough to force the university’s hand. The first authorized copy of this mysterious, much-speculated-upon, one-of-a-kind, centuries-old puzzle. The Voynich Manuscript is produced from new photographs of the entire original and accompanied by expert essays that invite anyone to understand and explore the enigma. Many call the fifteenth-century codex, commonly known as the “Voynich Manuscript,” the world’s most mysterious book. Written in an unknown script by an unknown author, the manuscript has no clearer purpose now than when it was rediscovered in 1912 by rare books dealer Wilfrid Voynich. The manuscript appears and disappears throughout history, from the library of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to a secret sale of books in 1903 by the Society of Jesus in Rome. The book’s language has eluded decipherment, and its elaborate illustrations remain as baffling as they are beautiful. For the first time, this facsimile, complete with elaborate folding sections, allows readers to explore this enigma in all its stunning detail, from its one-of-a-kind “Voynichese” text to its illustrations of otherworldly plants, unfamiliar constellations, and naked women swimming though fantastical tubes and green baths. The Voynich Manuscript [Amazon]

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New Voynich Manuscript reproduction uses new photos, looks great

British Library posts 1m copyright-free images online

The British Library has posted over a million copyright free images taken from books prior to 1900 on Flickr. That means if you need decorations of virtually any type for a website or book, you’ll find more than you can imagine among these visual riches. Just click through! [Via Digital Arts Online ]

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British Library posts 1m copyright-free images online

Here’s a fun way to browse the 187,000 digital items in the NY library’s public domain collection

I could get lost on this page for weeks. The stereoscopic views are great, if you know how to see them with your eyes. On January 6th, 2016, The New York Public Library made over 187K digital items in the public domain available for high resolution download. This is one of many experiments by the NYPL Labs to help patrons understand and explore what was contained in that release.

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Here’s a fun way to browse the 187,000 digital items in the NY library’s public domain collection

Breaking the DRM on the 1982 Apple ][+ port of Burger Time

4AM is a prolific computer historian whose practice involves cracking the copy protection on neglected Apple ][+ floppy disks, producing not just games, but voluminous logs that reveal the secret history of the cat-and-mouse between crackers and publishers. (more…)

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Breaking the DRM on the 1982 Apple ][+ port of Burger Time

Anne Frank’s diary is in the public domain; editors aren’t co-authors

Anne Frank’s father, Otto, edited Frank’s diary before publishing it. He also endowed two foundations — one Swiss, one Dutch — to administer her legacy. (more…)

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Anne Frank’s diary is in the public domain; editors aren’t co-authors