2023/2024/2025 Question of the Day Archive & Suggestions

What’s the copyright decade of the oldest book in your house?
Hi :frow
Please will you clarify your question? ...for as far as I know, having worked in the publishing industry, the Copyright Act or law was enacted in 1974 and was applied to book publishing in 1978, so there are no Copyrighted books older than 1978? I have collectable books in my library that were printed many decades before that. Do you still want to know the year of my oldest Copyrighted book, or my oldest printed book?

Edited to add:
My apologies, I am thinking of the South African Copyright Act, which is the Act I had to abide by when working in the publishing industry here.
:th
 
Last edited:
What’s the copyright decade of the oldest book in your house?
From Google for anyone who is interested...

"The United States first established federal copyright law with the Copyright Act of 1790, which was signed into law on May 31, 1790. This act granted authors of books, maps, and charts the right to print, reprint, or publish their work for a period of 14 years, with the possibility of renewal for another 14 years. The current copyright law in the US is the Copyright Act of 1976, which went into effect on January 1, 1978, and has been amended several times since."
 
Hi :frow
Please will you clarify your question? ...for as far as I know, having worked in the publishing industry, the Copyright Act or law was enacted in 1974 and was applied to book publishing in 1978, so there are no Copyrighted books older than 1978? I have collectable books in my library that were printed many decades before that. Do you still want to know the year of my oldest Copyrighted book, or my oldest printed book?

Edited to add:
My apologies, I am thinking of the South African Copyright Act, which is the Act I had to abide by when working in the publishing industry here.
:th
I never thought about the fact that other countries might have different copyright laws! :oops:

So were none of the books published in South Africa copyrighted before 1978?
Do you still want to know the year of my oldest Copyrighted book, or my oldest printed book?
I’d like to know the age of your oldest printed book :).

What I meant by my question was, I have a book copyrighted 1916; even though it’s in the public domain now, that’s one of my oldest copyrighted books (in my mind).
 
So were none of the books published in South Africa copyrighted before 1978?
I am not entirely sure, haha, and I think it might be a bit complicated as our country's history is a bit complicated too. 'The Republic of South Africa' was officially formed on 1961, and before that we were a Dominion of the British Empire, so I guess that before 1978 we must have followed the British Copyright Act?
And I am now wondering if the Copyright Act of 1978 is the same to and for all of us? I'm confused.
:gig
I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I am a bright crayon instead.

I’d like to know the age of your oldest printed book :).
I shall answer this when your question comes up for selection.
:thumbsup
 

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