Print

[Prankster]

Hi, this one seems pretty open and shut, but I want to run it by everyone here just in case.

There's a comic which you guys have available called "Jetta of the 21st Century", created by Dan DeCarlo in the early 50s. This is an extremely obscure character (basically "Archie in space", with a female protagonist) who only seems to have appeared in three issues of her comic (which were labelled #5-#7 because apparently they liked to pretend a book had been around for longer than it had been back then). You guys have the first two books available for download, so I'm assuming they're copyright free (as well as the third book). Since that's it for the character's appearances, and her copyright was never renewed and the publisher is no longer in business, she should be completely in the public domain, right?

[narfstar]

Probably a pretty good bet to be copyright free. It is on the site for one and second that it appears that Nedor did not renew any of its copyrights. Fun character too. Would have been a cute cartoon series like the Jetson/Arhcies

[John C]

To be excessively picky, there's no "she" and the company has no bearing on the issue, but otherwise you should be right.

What you care about is the ability to make a "derived work," which is only possible (without license, I mean) with something from the public domain.  As long as the stories have no copyright protection, anything from them (that didn't originate in a copyrighted source) is permitted for whatever use you like.

And to be even pickier, technically Archie is Jetta on Earth, since DeCarlo created Jetta before revamping the Riverdale crew.  But I'm sure you knew that.

(And Nedor did renew quite a few copyrights, but Jetta's not one of them.  Nedor books are generally assumed to be in the public domain because nobody seems to know who the current owner is, but that's very different from being unowned.)

[John C]

Oh, also, for professional or prominent (or hopefully prominent) work, do a copyright check for yourself, since "John and Jim said it should be OK" is surprisingly ineffectual in a court of law.

You can find many copies of the Catalog of Copyright Entries renewal pages online, including Ockerbloom's compilation of first renewals for periodicals.  Technically, they shouldn't be trusted either, and should be replaced with photocopies of pages in the physical publication (still available at most city libraries, possibly available at any local library) where the renewal should be listed but isn't, but that can wait until and unless you need it in response to a Cease and Desist letter.

[Prankster]

Yeah, I did notice that Jetta was created before DeCarlo started doing Archie...but if we're being nitpicky, Archie had nevertheless been around for some time before Jetta, so she was still kind of a ripoff.

I did already have a look at the Catalog of Copyright Entries, but I've only looked at the files for 1980, which is the year in which Jetta should have had its copyright renewed if anyone was going to do so. But of course I guess someone could have renewed them before that, too, right? Anyway, I'll have a look at this Ockerbloom thing, but it does sound like I'm in the clear (and yes, I did want to make my own comics featuring the character). Thanks.

One thing that did throw me off a little was that a company called "Airwave" did a volume that reprinted the stories, including at least one original story, a few years ago. Annoyingly, Airwave doesn't have a website, but I am trying to get in touch with them to make sure it was a public domain reprint. I'm also actually going to try and get in touch with the DeCarlo heirs/estate if at all possible, because I actually would like to send them some of whatever meager profits I make...I feel really bad for how DeCarlo was treated and I don't want to exploit his work if I can avoid it. Don't really know how to get in touch with them, but I'm digging.

Oh, on a tangentally related note, I did a comic for 24 Hour Comics Day that sort of points at the kind of thing I'd like to do (though this is much goofier). You can see it here: http://s1.zetaboards.com/dcg/topic/2374246/1/#new

Anyway, thanks a lot for your help!

[JonTheScanner]

Apparently Richard Maurizio was President of Airwave Publishing if that helps.

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=60235

[John C]

I did already have a look at the Catalog of Copyright Entries, but I've only looked at the files for 1980, which is the year in which Jetta should have had its copyright renewed if anyone was going to do so. But of course I guess someone could have renewed them before that, too, right?

It never hurts to check the year before or after, as those were also valid possibilities, but nothing beyond that.

One thing that did throw me off a little was that a company called "Airwave" did a volume that reprinted the stories, including at least one original story, a few years ago. Annoyingly, Airwave doesn't have a website, but I am trying to get in touch with them to make sure it was a public domain reprint.

I find that most publishers except the most modern (and even then...) are very reluctant to let their work be described as public domain.  If you can't find a renewal, you might also invest in having someone check the Library of Congress itself, but I wouldn't rely on or wait for Airwave's word.

I'm also actually going to try and get in touch with the DeCarlo heirs/estate if at all possible, because I actually would like to send them some of whatever meager profits I make...I feel really bad for how DeCarlo was treated and I don't want to exploit his work if I can avoid it. Don't really know how to get in touch with them, but I'm digging.

It's a kind gesture, but do bear in mind that the estate and family aren't DeCarlo himself, and may not have nearly the interest that his fans do or be worth the effort.

[Prankster]

I actually had found the name Richard Maurizio before, and have made some attempts to contact him. Nothing so far...

Anyway, once again, thanks so much for your help, I really appreciate it.