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By David Rothman

One of the big arguments against Hollywood-bought copyright terms is that they wreak havoc with the rediscovery of valuable literary works. Some of these works can even be published anew for profit. And why not? Forgotten, they won’t make anyone rich–and rediscovered, they could improve the visibility of the author and maybe even help books still under copyright (not to mention the societal benefits!).

And so I read with interest an AP story in the Washington Post about Steve Hines of Brentwood, Tenn., near Nashville, who apparently has found a neat little niche in rediscovering the forgotten works of such writers as Louisa May Alcott. Granted, Ms. Alcott died in 1888 and is hardly a modern example of the potential here. But the concept is the same. Excerpt from the Post:

Hines found a forgotten Alcott story titled “Patty’s Place” while looking through a 1920 copy of St. Nicholas magazine for children. He published it as “The Quiet Little Woman,” along with another story he found, “Kate’s Choice,” and sold about 350,000 copies.

Hmm. Perhaps it’s time for e-book versions–with intros included by modern critics to add value, thus making the books viable as fodder for sale. And meanwhile, if the public domain community can locate the sources and do free versions without the intros, so much the better!

Not quite related but too good not to mention: In Memoriam: Writers We’ll Miss, also in the Post.

Also of interest: Longer copyright terms ahead for Russia? U.S. copyright interests are already stepping up efforts in the file-sharing area.

 
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