[THE_EPISTLE] copyrights

[Ian Dickerson]

Martin Schwartz wrote:
> 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.
>
Funnily enough I double-checked this a couple of years ago. All Saint
adventures have been copyrighted and these copyrights have been
maintained to ensure nothing will become public domain for a good few
years yet.

Ian