Is this legal?

[ComicSupply]

Saw the thread in ebay sales that link to this site

 

http://www.electro-comics.com/

 

Just wondering how you could get licensing or the rights to sell these comics. I know Marvel and DC don't do it and I would assume that Marvel and or DC would have rights to a lot of these titles.

 

 

[Raphael]

I'm probably wrong, but is't the rule something along the lines of once it's 50 years old and out of publication, then it becomes public property, or something like that>?

[ComicSupply]

That might be true. I would think someone would pick up the rights to it though.

 

Just wondering, not trying to ruin the guy.

[Davenport]

Downloadable golden age issues are available for free: Golden Age Comics

And Comic Book Reader software is free as well: CDisplay

 

Looks like the same titles being sold.

[silverage12c]

I think it may be that these works are all now in the "Public Domain". Anythin published prior to 1923 is public, and most things published between 1923-1963 become public after 47 years. Here's a link that explains this a little: http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm I think this is one reason that so much advertising uses classical music.

[Davenport]

I think it may be that these works are all now in the "Public Domain".

Bingo. (thumbs u

From the Golden Age Comics homepage:

"The #1 site for downloading FREE copyright free golden age comics. We are still a young site so please bare with us during this startup period. We are currently looking for users who can upload comics we have not got yet and also looking for comic researchers who can find comics that are copyright free or in the public domain."

[Davenport]

BTW, if anyone's going to sample some free golden age issues I highly recommend checking out

Thun'da, King of the Congo #1. Huge crisp scans jam packed with Frank Frazetta goodness.

Here's the cover and first two pages, reduced in size, as a sampler.

 

[Count]

I've been using that site for a little bit now. Hey why crack a slab open and risk ruining an expensive book while you can read it on your pc for free right? :shrug:

[Ebel 1911]

It might be nice to see if some of those old comics with great covers had stories that match (Fighting Yank, Crime Does Not Pay, etc).

[The Troll King]

No, none of this is true... all of these golden age books are still held under the copywrite as which they were written under and will not enter the public domain for quite some time.

[chromium]

I've been using that site for a little bit now. Hey why crack a slab open and risk ruining an expensive book while you can read it on your pc for free right? :shrug:

 

the smell of old comics

[He11blazer]

Saw the thread in ebay sales that link to this site

 

http://www.electro-comics.com/

 

Just wondering how you could get licensing or the rights to sell these comics. I know Marvel and DC don't do it and I would assume that Marvel and or DC would have rights to a lot of these titles.

 

 

Wait a sec... they want people to PAY to download stuff??

 

 

 

Either the stuff is copyright-free in which case it's FREE.

 

OR

 

It is not copyright-free in which case that site is illegal.

 

Either way it's a rip-off money-grabbing schemer site.

 

 

[Mr. Zipper]

Wait a sec... they want people to PAY to download stuff??

 

Either the stuff is copyright-free in which case it's FREE.

 

OR

 

It is not copyright-free in which case that site is illegal.

 

Either way it's a rip-off money-grabbing schemer site.

 

He's charging for the service which is legit. Granted, I would prefer the free downloads...

 

The problem with a lot of the free download sites is that they often exceed bandwidth, links are broken, etc. I've tried downloading several times in the past from the free site Davenport pointed out. I always get an error message that says I have to "come back later because I've downloaded my limit of files." I've never downloaded ONE file... I get the error message on the first attempt.

[Mr. Zipper]

That said, it is ironic that the owner of the pay site includes this disclaimer:

 

Please note that Electro-Comics downloads are not royalty free clipart and are sold pursuant to the software license included in each downloadable file.

They may not be redistributed in any manner without the express written consent of Graffix Multimedia.

 

Ironic since "Graffix Multimedia" almost certainly obtained these scans free of charge from USENET download or someone else's site.

 

 

[OldGuy]

That said, it is ironic that the owner of the pay site includes this disclaimer:

 

Please note that Electro-Comics downloads are not royalty free clipart and are sold pursuant to the software license included in each downloadable file.

They may not be redistributed in any manner without the express written consent of Graffix Multimedia.

 

Ironic since "Graffix Multimedia" almost certainly obtained these scans free of charge from USENET download or someone else's site.

 

 

Grain of salt and all that.....

[The Black Hand ®]

That said, it is ironic that the owner of the pay site includes this disclaimer:

 

Please note that Electro-Comics downloads are not royalty free clipart and are sold pursuant to the software license included in each downloadable file.

They may not be redistributed in any manner without the express written consent of Graffix Multimedia.

 

Ironic since "Graffix Multimedia" almost certainly obtained these scans free of charge from USENET download or someone else's site.

 

 

So they swiped it off whoever initally did all the work scanning it..... who swiped it off the comic book company....who ripped off the talent who did the creative work....who broke their mothers hearts by not becoming a lawyer or a doctor.

[seank]

I don't think copyright is the issue here, it's trademark and/or licensing issues. For example, DC probably owns the rights to Blue Beetle, Phantom Lady, etc. So they probably have the rights to distribute reprints of the old issues or to license reprints of the old issues. I suspect many of the books being sold on this site are being sold illegally and DC's/Warner's lawyers could shut them down in half a second if they put their minds to it.

[The Troll King]

The copyright is good for 95 years before it reaches public domain unless it is freely submitted and released by the original copyright holder.

[the blob]

buffy, that's under current law.

 

under the old (pre 1976) law you got 27 years and another 27 years if you renewed. that second 27 years was subsequently expanded quite a bit by congress, I forget how long.

 

but if you did not renew the copyright, it could go into public domain. i believe congress gave some additional time if someone forgot to renew and brought things back from the public domain, but if you didn't do it within that window....

 

Hence all of my great grandfather's books (I believe the last of which was published in 1921) have fallen into public domain because nobody bothered renewing them when the initial 27 year copyrights expired (no market for them). some of them are available on those CDs with like 5,000 public domain books on them and a few are now being reprinted (still not much of a market) royalty free.

 

My guess is that whoever/whatever owned these forgot to renew after 27 years or perhaps did so defectively.

 

but then again, i cannot imagine that fawcett, charlton, etc. would have messed up like that. maybe some of the companies that went under a long time ago.

 

i'm fuzzy on the specifics, but about 10 years ago i had a case where these renewals were at issue...an author who was popular in the 20s through early 50s. someone was distributing copies of the books and we had to go trhough an analysis of each of the renewals to make sure nothing had become public domain.

[the blob]

sorry, the unc link says 28 years, i guess it's 28 years + 67 years, but you had to renew. so, if the company was bankrupt and nobody was paying attention, they could have blown it.