sean@epoptic.com wrote:
On Fri, May 18, 2007 at 01:34:33AM -0700, Ray Saintonge wrote:
If there is a documented assignment of rights this should pose no problems. In the long term, however, we need to be more open and less bureaucratic when rights are claimed by inheritance. Books that were written long ago are often forgotten when wills are written, or if there is an intestacy. Things can get worse when we are two of three generations removed, or there are large families.
That describes this case rather well. Granddad dies, leaving everything to his third wife, my step-grandmother. She dies, leaving everything to her daughter, my half-aunt. She then enters a convent, after assigning all copyrights to me.
I presume that the Marie who renewed the copyright in 1990 was that third wife?
Those two previous wills would be a pain to look up. I have my half-aunt's assignment, which is good enough for the publishers to send me the royalties, but will it be enough for the hardcore fetishists?
No argument from me, but in the general scheme of things looking up those wills would be relatively easy compared to the hurdles others may face when confronted by these robots..
Ec