[boox909]

Our friends at Flashback Universe blog discuss the Public Domain Digital Slider, and other issues associated with comics book in the public domain.

http://flashbackuniverse.blogspot.com/2010/11/public-domain-digital-slider.html

B.

[narfstar]

So has it been determined that DC did not renew Bob or Jerry? They also had Pat Boone and Pinky Lee, Honeymooners, Dobie Gillis, Alan Ladd and more. Have these been checked for renewals? Janus is wanting a PD status checker. I am curious about Dell Comics and what they may not have renewed.

[NobbyNobbs]

Did Dell actually have the copyrights to any of the comics they "published" before the split with Western Publishing/Printers, or did Western have the rights?

[bchat]

So has it been determined that DC did not renew Bob or Jerry? They also had Pat Boone and Pinky Lee, Honeymooners, Dobie Gillis, Alan Ladd and more. Have these been checked for renewals? Janus is wanting a PD status checker. I am curious about Dell Comics and what they may not have renewed.

I checked-out "The Adventures of Bob Hope" online just because I wanted to, and found that issues 7-109 were renewed, with the Copyright Claimant being Bob Hope, not DC Comics.  I didn't see any renewals for issues 1-6.

[narfstar]

Which means that we should have no problem carrying 1-6. DC surely would not get into it since they do not have the rights anyway. I believe scans are out there to post after we are all good. I suspect maybe Dean and Jerry are all OK.

[josemas]

Did Dell actually have the copyrights to any of the comics they "published" before the split with Western Publishing/Printers, or did Western have the rights?

According to a piece that Mark Evanier wrote it was Western  who held the rights to almost all of the properties that appeared in Dell comics.   Of course since most of Dell's comics were licensed properties those rights were mostly just licensing rights and the copyrights were retained by whomever they were licensed from (Disney, MGM, Warner Brothers, Lantz, etc..). 
In actuality Western only ended up with copyrights to the few original series created by them for publication under the Dell imprint (such as Turok). 

Best

Joe

[josemas]

Which means that we should have no problem carrying 1-6. DC surely would not get into it since they do not have the rights anyway. I believe scans are out there to post after we are all good. I suspect maybe Dean and Jerry are all OK.

I wouldn't be surprised if those early Martin and Lewis comics were PD also.  I know that virtually all of Martin and Lewis' 1950s television appearances are now PD although both Dean and Jerry were much better about keeping their later solo efforts protected.

Best

Joe

[narfstar]

If one of the public domain experts could check on the DC character books we might be able to add several to the site. I would bet that many would be willing for us to carry their books anyway. Anyone know how to get hold of Pat Boone?

[bchat]

The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis # 1-27, 29 & 37: Copyright renewal filed by Paramount Pictures Corporation
Pat Boone 1-3, 5: renewals filed by Cooga Mooga Products, Inc
Jackie Gleason and The Honeymooners 1-12: renewals filed by DC Comics
The Adventures of Alan Ladd 1-9: renewals filed by DC Comics

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis 1-26: No renewals found online
Pinky Lee 1-5: No renewal found online

UPDATE:
The Adventures of Bob Hope 1-6:  I just ran across the renewals for these issues filed by Bob Hope.


KEEP IN MIND that just because I didn't find any renewals doesn't mean the books are Public Domain.  I might have typed something wrong while searching online or temporarily zoned-out while looking at a page.

[narfstar]

thanks for the info bchat. Now we need someone with contacts to get a hold of some of these individuals or corporations and see if we could get permission to carry the books as career advertisements. We all know that more exposure increases ancilliary value