Re: CPED

The general, international rule governing copyright is to count 75
years after the author's death; there are a few special exceptions to
this (e.g., Mickey Mouse is still copyrighted because the U.S. house
of congress passed a law to protect "him" from the public domain) but
the general rule will apply (e.g.) to the 1st edition of the PTS
dictionary.  Indian publishers have already re-printed the 1st PTS
dictionary as public domain; however, corrected or revised editions
will have their own copyrights with their own dates of lapsing.

The simplest way for a text to become public domain is by the express
wish of its author; this was the case with the Cambodian textbook I
put on the internet a few years ago --and apparently it is the case
with Buddhadhatta's dictionaries (although I do not see any such
notice in the printed text...).

There is a huge bulk of Pali resources that can be re-printed or
digitized and distributed freely --most of the old editions I was
looking at (and reporting upon) in Sri Lanka would fall under this
heading.  Given that there is so much that can be legally done (and
has not yet been done) to provide resources for scholars, I would
leave future generations to take their turn at what is still under
copyright.

Does anyone want to reprint Tha Do Oung's grammar?  Or make a new
edition of C. Duroiselle's?

E.M.