$50 for a *copy* of a letter?! (1 Viewer)

[cirerita]

In most places, they usually stick a piece of paper which reads: "Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code)". It seems to me illegal to sell copies with this warning. However, many of the copies I have were not accompanied by this warning and I guess this probably happens elsewhere.

 

[The Mayor]

I think that the letter IS worth $50. The seller was very honest and upfront about it's nature... also, am I to understand that the paper it's copied on is 40 years old? It would be nice to have a dog-eared copy of such a unique relic. If fact I think I'll try and bid now, if it's not to late...

 

[cirerita]

Hey, my copies of unpublished/rare stuff are not dog-eared, but I'll gladly dog-ear them if that makes you happy :D

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
No one has mentioned this, but that $50 letter is a letter from Buk and in it he talks about our own Rekrab (David Barker).

Maybe only one of two people on this forum that has letters by Buk written where he is mentioned?

Best,
Bill

 

[Rekrab]

In most places, they usually stick a piece of paper which reads: "Notice: this material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code)". It seems to me illegal to sell copies with this warning. However, many of the copies I have were not accompanied by this warning and I guess this probably happens elsewhere.

I don't think the presence or absence of a warning makes any difference. All unpublished manuscripts enjoy the same copyright protections, if I understand what I've read on the subject. The warning is literally just a warning -- that the material is protected by copyright.

By the way, when I looked into public domain laws, I found that written material published before 1923 is in public domain...anyone can copy and sell it without pernission or royalties paid to the original copyright holder. However, unpublished manuscripts are protected back to something like 1885, and aren't in public domain if they were created after that. I don't know why that distinction is made, but it's interesting. Needless to say, I ain't a lawyer and don't quote me on this stuff...it's just the situation as I understand it.

 

[Rekrab]

... also, am I to understand that the paper it's copied on is 40 years old? It would be nice to have a dog-eared copy of such a unique relic...

The infamous yellow paper copies of Buk's letter to Wong are 20 years old...they are vintage copies made in the same year the letter was written, 1986. Old copies on old paper.

To be clear, they were made to be distributed privately to friends, as an information sharing thing, and not to be sold. Money had nothing to do with it.

 

[Rekrab]

No one has mentioned this, but that $50 letter is a letter from Buk and in it he talks about our own Rekrab (David Barker).
Maybe only one of two people on this forum that has letters by Buk written where he is mentioned?

Bill: thanks for mentioning that. Who is the other honoree, if I may ask?

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
There is a lady who had a relationship with Buk. She has not posted in a while. I have never figured out her name, although I'm sure there are others that have.

Also, he wrote about me in many of his letters. In those letters, he referred to me under my pen name....

Oh that's right. I must have been dreaming. I did not know the Buk...

It is funny, though that although there was a very negative response from some to the book "Charles Bukowski Spit in My Face", Bukowski did not seem at all upset by the book. I know that others were upset (If you read a later printing of the book, Barker talks about this), but clearly Buk was not bothered.

Best,
Bill

 

[cirerita]

David,

you're right, they're probably illegal with or without the warning.

Bill,
This lady uploaded a letter B addressed to her and it begins: "Dear Joan:" :D

 

[Rekrab]

Bill: Thanks for the info about the other poster who's appeared in Buk letters.

You're right about my "Spit" book. It didn't seem to bother Bukowski. But I took a tremendous amount of shit for it from other people. What I said in the book seemed to have nothing to do with it. It was all over the simple fact that I'd done it without their blessing. Funny, I always thought a person had a right to publish a memoir. If I don't have authority to write about my life, who is supposed to give that to me? All water under the bridge now, and the bridge has fallen down into the river and been washed away...

 

[hank solo]

All water under the bridge now, and the bridge has fallen down into the river and been washed away...

Hey David, you're a poet, did you know it? :D
Seriously though, I like that sentiment. Nice.

 

[Rekrab]

Yeah, the guy in the mailroom at work tells me that all the time, right before he slugs me in the shoulder. Thanks, though.

 

[The Mayor]

The infamous yellow paper copies of Buk's letter to Wong are 20 years old...they are vintage copies made in the same year the letter was written, 1986. Old copies on old paper.

To be clear, they were made to be distributed privately to friends, as an information sharing thing, and not to be sold. Money had nothing to do with it.

Oh.. maybe I had it confused with something else... I was under the impression that it was written in 1967...