Post by sordidbusiness on Jun 12, 2021 21:48:19 GMT -6
Background: I dove deep and dedicated some time trying to identify the copyright status of Reno Vindicated by Brininstool. I was able to find a copy, but it's in horrid condition. The book's copyright doesn't seem to have been renewed.
The best tool I found is the Stanford copyright renewal database. It's free! It's supposed to identify all books published from 1923 to 1964. Standford University Copyright Renewals. So if there are other folks out there trying to resurrect lost and older stories and books, but are worried about uncertain copyright status, I recommend this tool.
If you are interested in the tool, remember that this feature is only for titles published up to 1964. For example, with Penny Weibert's permission, I scanned and edited her dad's book, "Sixty-six Years with Custer." She is the legal copyright owner and she was nervous about others working on the book for fear of giving away her control of the material. The Stanford search tool doesn't show there was a renewal, because it was published *after* 1964. I am stressing this point because Stanford's description of the tool might be confusing since it throws so many dates together in the same paragraph. Maybe you folks aren't as hard-headed as me and will understand it with one reading. 
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I scanned Reno Vindicated and performed an OCR process. Then, feeling frisky, made the text inside conform to the original book's interior dimensions. I dressed it up as if it would go to print, throwing a copyright page in it because of my contribution. I retained the original page numbering. It's great being retired. If folks are receptive, I'm willing to share the PDF of it in finished form.
Maybe this post doesn't belong in the "Other Media" thread. I had to decide between bragging about being retired and describing the Stanford tool. If anyone knows of other online copyright search tools, please post it here. I would love to see tons of resurrected and "lost" works brought back to a contemporary audience. Those authors interviewed witnesses and participants! Those old stories and interviews are a huge treasure. And many are lost; especially the limited pamphlets from folks like Brininstool or Carroll. Most people can't afford to spend a few hundred dollars for a 30-page book. Makes me sad.
Oh, does anyone know if the LBH park or LBHA folks ever considered bringing back some of those books or pamphlets? I would love to help as much as I can to preserve them for future "Custer Buffs."
