On 28/03/2011 08:52, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In raweb.com, Rob
wrote:
On 27/03/2011 13:48, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Wonder what Rob would think if he wrote a book and sent the manuscript
to a publisher, and it was rejected, and returned.

Then found it was later published and became a best seller with
nothing being paid to him.


Ah well yes, I'd concede I am a hypocrite. Doesn't stop me thinking one
thing and doing something else.

I can't resist adding into this discussion an 'interesting case' I've just
encountered.

I went into a local bookshop and found a newly published book by... John
Wyndham. Who died about 40 years ago!

He wrote it at the same time as he wrote "The Day of the Triffids", but it
wasn't published whilst he was alive. Now it has appeared. It was initially
published by Liverpool Uni, and now by Penguin Books. I presume at present
the copyright is between the Uni and his 'estate'. This raises the
question, should they not be paid for the work in bringing this to
publication?

Hard cases make bad law. :-)


And another thing - there's no way the estate should benefit from his
work, surely?! Proceeds should go to the state, such as it is.

Rob