John Kerry's "The New Soldier" for download

http://johnkerrythenewsoldier.blogspot.com/ ^

[Hurricane Andrew]

Just after JOHN KERRY came back from Vietnam, he wrote the book THE NEW SOLDIER.

The book is out of print. John Kerry does not allow the publisher to reprint it.

To make a rational decision on November 2, you need to have all available facts.

You can now read John Kerry's THE NEW SOLDIER online for FREE.

[Hurricane Andrew]

Should make for some "insightful" reading. Too bad Kerry doesn't promote a reprint. Copies could be handed out in all the battleground states.

[EggsAckley]

Yet ANOTHER book Kerry doesn't want anyone to read. LOL!

[technomage]

Wow, that site is awesome!! A treasure trove of New Soldier info.

[GailA]

Hedgecock just plugged it I think.

[pabianice]

So much for Kerry ordering the publisher to destroy all remaining copies. G-d bless the web; it is going to be Kerry's undoing!

[lilylangtree]

YYYYYeeeessssss!

[Bryan24]

A question of legalities here. Is the book not copyrighted? If it is, is this not a violation of the copyright laws?

Does his book fall outside of the old 28 year rule?

Educate me here. I don't understand how this can be Okee-Dokee?

[pabianice]

A question of legalities here. Is the book not copyrighted? If it is, is this not a violation of the copyright laws? Does his book fall outside of the old 28 year rule? Educate me here. I don't understand how this can be Okee-Dokee?

You mean as law-abiding as the rest of Kerry's campaign?

[Hurricane Andrew]

If I may quote from www.bitlaw.com/copyright/duration.html

Works Originally Created and Published or Registered Before January 1, 1978: This is governed by statutory section 17 USC 304. Under the law in effect before 1978, copyright was secured either on the date a work was published or on the date of registration if the work was registered in unpublished form. In either case, the copyright endured for a first term of 28 years from the date it was secured. During the last (28th) year of the first term, the copyright was eligible for a second renewal term of an additional 28 years. If no application was filed for renewal, the work would enter the public domain after the initial 28 year term.

I don't believe that Kerry or VVAW filed for an extension of that term. Since the book was first published in 1971, the 28 year expiry would be 1999, so we are outside of that time frame.

Then again, I'm not a lawyer, though I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once...

[don-o]

It may or may not be kosher Vis a vis copyright.

Yet, the clear and present danger of a potential Kerry presidency should override that.

[Bryan24]

I wonder if Kerry filed for a renewal?

Just didn't want a repeat of the Washington Post copyright fiasco.

[DoughtyOne]

;-)

[AllTheRage]

[kevkrom]

A question of legalities here. Is the book not copyrighted? If it is, is this not a violation of the copyright laws?

That's a crucial question for the PDFs... I also understand, though, that the entire text of the book was read into the Congressional Record, and the Record can be reproduced verbatim.

[HamiltonJay]

I don't know if the Copyright is expired then the publisher could reprint WITHOUT Kerry's permission, so I would be a bit dubious in assuming the work is no longer covered by copyright law.

[HamiltonJay]

If this is true, then yes it is part of the public record and can be copied as much as one would like.

[HamiltonJay]

Well at least the transcript of the congressional record could be copied and distributed as much as liked.

[kevkrom]

I wonder if Kerry filed for a renewal?

I found no record of a copyright renewal at www.copright.gov using any of the following search terms:

Title: New Soldier
Author: Kerry, John
Author: VVAW
Author: Vietnam Veterans Against the War

[kevkrom]

That should be www.copyright.gov.

[kevkrom]

More digging at the Copyright office's website... and it looks like bad news:

Works copyrighted between January 1, 1964, and December 31, 1977, are affected by the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992, which automatically extends the copyright term and makes renewal registrations optional. [emphasis mine]

However, this is still a bit confusing, because I can't tell if the automatic extension requires the printing of an edition with the extended copyright so indicated. I.e., whether the copyright holder would still need to take some kind of action prior to the expiration of the initial copyright.

Any legally-minded FReepers can take a look at USC 17, Chapter 3 ("Duration of Copyright") to make their own determination.