[THE_EPISTLE] copyrights

[Martin Schwartz]

Lupin is public domain.  Holmes is public domain tho' some publishers
still pay for authorization from the descendants.  In the US, some of
the oldest Charteris stories may be out of copyright tho Charteris, as I
recall, and Ian can answer this better than I, was so scrupulous about
maintaining his rights, that a way may have been found around this.  In
any event, the stick figure is a trademark and, if reprinted in recent
editions of the canon, might be renewable indefinitely, along with the
name, "The Saint".
I say this because I was involved last year in reproducing a radio play
of the old "Superman" radio series at the LA branch of the Museum of
Broadcasting.  The name "Superman" could be used but other names, like
"Clark Kent", had to be changed.  Go figure.