April 18, 2006

Curious George Arthur Conan Doyle died in 1930, some 76 years ago, which means his works are now in the public domain, right? Well, yes and no.

Here's my question: I have been pondering the creation of a Conan Doyle Wiki, on which all sorts of people will be able to write about and analyse the various works of this master. Would I receive a cease and desist letter within the first couple of weeks, though, or would I be protected by fair use?

posted by Skrik 18 years ago
  • There is already at least 1 wiki & many fan-built websites on Conan Doyle, so go for it.
  • Where's the wiki? I have searched, and found none.
  • It's a pretty piss-poor one. 7th listing on Google search for 'conan doyle wiki' /exasperating smug expression But there *have* to be other similar sites. There are many fan pages. I would doubt anyone in control of his estate would go after you. I think they'd be happy with a really good Wiki. Conan Doyle fans tend to be of the nicer sort, apart from when they murder one another in arcane ways.
  • The first Moriarty episode of ST:TNG was on last night!
  • Niles!
  • That really is a poor example of the wiki genre. I feel I would not be treading on anyone's toes. And the world needs a Conan Doyle wiki.
  • Yes it does. The game's afoot!
  • From www.copyright.gov: The 1961 Report of the Register of Copyrights on the General Revision of the U.S. Copyright Law cites examples of activities that courts have regarded as fair use: “quotation of excerpts in a review or criticism for purposes of illustration or comment; ... So, legally-wise, as long as you try to stick to fair use guidelines, I don't think you'll have a problem.
  • It looks like this will be a project I can devote some time to in my really really long summer holiday. More later.
  • I demand it! Make it so! *puts on meticulous disguise, heads to opium den*
  • Copyright law needs to be pushed back to what it was originally intended to be. Using the work of a long-dead individual to support the current crop of hangers-on is not what the copyright was supposed to do. Disney in particular needs to stop raping Walt's corpse for money, and do some original fucking work if they expect to keep the company afloat. (And by "original work" I do NOT mean "Yet Another Pointless Straight-To-Video Sequel Except The Animals Are All Cute Babies This Time"). Warner Bros. is just as bad. If they are so concerned about the integrity of their Golden Age cartoons, why in the name of god do they cut out the opening credits when they show the shortened, sanitized versions on TV these days? (Is the Bugs Bunny show even played on Saturday TV these days, or am I showing my age? Even 10 years ago they were cutting the credits off...) And now it's on to books. Why? Because Sir A.C. Doyle apparently still has some relatives who don't want to go out and get a job. Yes, living off of the family wealth is an old, old profession - but expecting it to continue growing by re-packaging and re-selling the same content over and over again is pathetic. Litigation is the new income source. Fucking Sonny Bono. Wonder how much Eisner paid him to sponser that goddamn bill.
  • I can tell by the callus on your palm and the wear on your shirtsleeves... Never mind. Chy--Might I add, the socks afoot!
  • Fucking Sonny Bono. Wonder how much Eisner paid him to sponser that goddamn bill. I suspect he was hoping the Sonny and Cher tunes would keep him wealthy forever. He should have also gotten something passed to require trees on slopes be padded first.
  • Obligatory "His Teeth" Punchline.
  • clf, maybe Disney could stop changing the minor details of history regarding rape and consent between men and women in their uh 'unique' histories. Maybe they could get Rob Schneider for the voice of the princess next time. (I have the sneaking suspicion this has been done. Someone just touched my corpse.) As for Bugs, I read a news article the other yesteryear about how they 'upgraded' the whole WB cast to 2.0 for the kids. Prolly went something like this: McCrunt: (eyeballs glazing) Hey, Jayne, you're stupid and I know what kids like. I see "the future" and I see edge. Jayne: (exasperated) Fuck you, McCrunt. We need to keep using the same time honored bullshit that we bored kids to adulthood with. Them "tiny toons" was the shit, yo. McCrunt: (eyes bulging, spit flaring (yes, flaring))I know edge, Jayne. After all, was it not I who acquired a legal affadavit to become the one and only McCrunt? Kids want extreme, you siphoning welterbeast! Chudley: (trying to get a word in)I'm with McCrunt, I could never argue with veins that large and bulgy. Jayne: (dismissive) You spineless CHUD. McCrunt, what the hell is extreme? You're just throwing empty words around, kids today want empowerment. And besides, I have so much edge all it did was add a y in my name - y? Cuz I'm so edgy, the rest of the letters wouldn't move, bitch. McCrunt: (bending into the shape of a letter "s") Look, Jayne, extreme is when you take sports drinks and make money off them. It worked for Triple-X didn't it? Guess who went to that movie? Guess who payed for the sequel? Kids! Kids want extreme, edgy, hold onto your seat, thrill rides! Jayne: (melting into a pool of marketing butter) Well, what do you propose? McCrunt: (quickly, confidentially) Great! Well, lets see. We'll use all the same characters, 'cept we call Bugs "Buzz" see? And maybe Daffy could be called "Razorblade Duck"... Porky we could drop the act and just call him "Fatso Pig" and we'll make him (emphatically) extremely heavy, like those twins on the motorcycles? Both of 'em. And of course Yosemite would become "Son of," Foghorn Leghorn maybe could be "Creationist Chicken." And Elmer Fudd will just become "Elron Fuddard." Jayne: (not convinced) So... we just change their names? McCrunt: No! This is a cartoon, Jayne! We draw them all extreme! Jayne: And what, exactly, does that look like, McCrunt? McCrunt: How the fuck should I know? I'm not the animator. Jayne: I love it! How's your drink? McCrunt: Fucking empty, (looks about shifty-like) where's that bitch with the hair? Chudley: The waitress? McCrunt: Whatever. Jayne: Greenlight? Chudley: Green. McCrunt: Buzz Bunny, fucking the shit up on Saturday mornings in kids heads across the nations... (pause) what's not to like? Chudley: Can I order now? And yes, the '2.0' was supposed to be "ironic."