Book Published in UK in 1908

[Lumberjack]

Would this now be in the public domain?

[Nick Cooper]

Would this now be in the public domain?

Not necessarily. If we take the example of H.G. Wells, he had lots of stuff published up to 1908 (and later), but it's all still protected until the end of this year, as he didn't die until 13 August 1946. If the author of your 1908 book died before 1946, it will be public domain. In the absence of a death date, a known birth date for the author may allow a reasonable assumption that they died more than 70 years ago. Any photographs in such a book would now be public domain, but other illustrations, not necessarily.

[Lumberjack]

This is the 1927 version, but I am talking about the 1908 edition. As you can see, it says quite clearly "Out of Copyright!" But can one believe such statements?
https://archive.org/details/practicalshipbu01holmgoog
I have no idea when Holms died, but I would imagine hew was in his 40s or 50s when his first 1904 edition came out. I have see lots of extracts from this book in modern volumes. This sort of thing is why I think the copyright situation is in chaos. Loads of conflicting information and ALL advisors say not to take what they say for fact, but get a good copyright lawyer! But at what cost?

[Nick Cooper]

This is the 1927 version, but I am talking about the 1908 edition. As you can see, it says quite clearly "Out of Copyright!" But can one believe such statements?
https://archive.org/details/practicalshipbu01holmgoog
I have no idea when Holms died, but I would imagine hew was in his 40s or 50s when his first 1904 edition came out. I have see lots of extracts from this book in modern volumes. This sort of thing is why I think the copyright situation is in chaos. Loads of conflicting information and ALL advisors say not to take what they say for fact, but get a good copyright lawyer! But at what cost?

OK, checking references to the book shows that A Campbell Holms was Archibald Campbell Holms. Using www.freebmd.org.uk shows the death of an Archibald C Holms aged 92 registered in March 1954. There is a marriage record for an Archibald Campbell Holms and a Jessie Foster Browne registered in September 1902. He was born in Glasgow, hence no birth record on the England & Wales only FreeBMD.

The Times of 4 February 1954 reports the death of the 92 year old author of Practical Shipbuilding - noting that it was first published in 1904 and was in print for 40 years - leaving his widow, Jessie.

The book's appearance on Internet Archive will be on the purported basis of it being out of copyright in the United States (which it probably is), but in the UK it is still in copyright until the end of 2024. There is nothing, though, to stop reasonable quoting from it before then, but complete text will be free to use in just under nine years time.

[Lumberjack]

Thanks, that is a really useful link, I had looked all over to find out when he died! Despite it still being in copyright, numerous modern books publish drawings from it, many without even acknowledgement. I don't suppose anyone will ever say anything though. But now I know it is still in copyright, I know not to use anything. Incidentally, the book I have does not contain text. It is a book of drawings and Fig numbers. The text is in a separate book (that I also have). But no doubt the same rules apply to the drawings.

[Nick Cooper]

Thanks, that is a really useful link, I had looked all over to find out when he died! Despite it still being in copyright, numerous modern books publish drawings from it, many without even acknowledgement. I don't suppose anyone will ever say anything though. But now I know it is still in copyright, I know not to use anything. Incidentally, the book I have does not contain text. It is a book of drawings and Fig numbers. The text is in a separate book (that I also have). But no doubt the same rules apply to the drawings.

Yes, the same would apply to the drawings, but it would depend on whether they were by Holms himself, or someone else, known or unknown.