dull : copyright on the Manifesto of Surrealism

[surr...@gmail.com]

i am likey asking about this mundane issue in the most dangerous of all
possible places.

let us suppose one wanted to make a small-press custom edition book of
the 1924 Manifesto of Surrealism. could this be sold [aside from the
obvious difficulties; who would buy it]? who holds the copyright? the
US Copyright DB cannot find the item, nor Breton as holder. any
theories?

- aqaraza

[john adams]

What would be the purpose? My guess is no one would buy it
based on the details you provide so far.

<surr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109137810.5...@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

[Paul Kinsler]

john adams <johnqadam...@minusthis.yahoo.com> wrote:
> > let us suppose one wanted to make a small-press custom edition book of
> > the 1924 Manifesto of Surrealism. could this be sold [aside from the
> > obvious difficulties; who would buy it]? who holds the copyright? the
> > US Copyright DB cannot find the item, nor Breton as holder. any
> > theories?

> What would be the purpose? My guess is no one would buy it

> based on the details you provide so far.

I might, if I happened across a copy. I've bought sillier
things.

--
#Paul

[surr...@gmail.com]

i would, which is why i want to do it. this is primarily a meditative
or devotional act; but i don't want to run afowl either. if i do this,
the result wld be a print-on-demand hardcover in a consistent edition,
and thus cld be ordered by whoever wanted one into perpetuity, and
ignored by anyone who did not, to no detriment to the project itself.
i hope to print my other surrealist work thus as well; not setting up a
print ond emand account solely for this. that *would* be silly!

- aqaraza

[surr...@gmail.com]

i would, which is why i want to do it. a nice solid edition with
consistent and varied typography; a reference edition, if you will. i
plan to do it as print on demand, so it'll be no biggie if not so many
ppl buy it; it'll stay in print all the same. i plan to pub other
things this way, mind you, not simply open a print-on-demand account
for this one purpose. now that *would* be silly. :)

- aqaraza

[john adams]

"Paul Kinsler" <kins...@delillo.lsr.ph.ic.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:bopue2-...@delillo.lsr.ph.ic.ac.uk...

The question is, would it be your own translation? And it
being a custom edition, what would you add? I don't
guess there would be any limitations to producing your own
edition from the French; is this purely hypothetical?

-john

[john adams]

<surr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109188196....@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

You would what? It may not be a bad idea depending on
your approach, but you have to be careful of appearing to
use the manifestoes as a convenient package to merely
sell your own product. And remember the manifestoes are
already available in book form and free online.

-john

[surr...@gmail.com]

certainly how i appear will have to be judged on the basis of the
result. as for translation, actually, the raw online version which
gives permission for reuse in itself wld be my basis. i've also
contacted that person [if they still exist] about their own thoughts on
prior copyright.

i realize a thicker compendium [Manifestoes] exists, but i have not
seen a single-volume plain reference edition of only the Manifesto. if
you know of one, i'd definitely love to hear about it...

my intentions towards the work are partly ritual in this project. it
in itself has been an inspiration to me, and to create a consistent
edition is for me a meditative work; i am creating it as totem and
object. so, as above, i suppose how i appear will have to be left to
the whims of chance and any random passersby. certainly if i find that
it is possible to do, i will try to do it, for reasons of furthering my
own experiments and also of, in whatever small way, furthering the
larger experiment of Surrealism.

i mean only honor in this situation; but also, the dream-object i want
in my hands is not one i've found elsewhere. if i want it, then others
might as well. or, like the Tarot, perhaps all should undergo a ritual
typesetting and binding and printing of their own version.

- aqaraza