if a book publisher is dissolved and the author is dead, can I digitize the book and sell it?

[luniac]

So this company has been dissolved

HAI FENG PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED - Hong Kong Business Directory

Dissolved. On 25 October 1988, HAI FENG PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED was registered as a company entity in Hong Kong.

www.hkgbusiness.com

There's one particular rare book they published decades ago, the author has since died, and the book is out of print as far as i know for decades.
i wanna buy it and make an ebook out of it.

Is it legal to sell the ebook?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MTF]

Is it 50 years since the author's death?

The duration of copyright in Hong Kong is 50 years for literary work.

香港 ─ 區域知識產權貿易中心 Hong Kong - Regional IP Trading Centre

Intellectual Property Department

www.ip.gov.hk

 

[luniac]

Is it 50 years since the author's death?

The duration of copyright in Hong Kong is 50 years for literary work.

香港 ─ 區域知識產權貿易中心 Hong Kong - Regional IP Trading Centre

Intellectual Property Department

www.ip.gov.hk

no not 50.
You think Hong Kong government would find out if im selling a somewhat obscure book lol

 

[MTF]

This isn't about the Hong Kong government but about the legitimate owner of the copyrights. They probably now belong to the author's family and it's their asset. By selling this book without their permission, obscure or not, you'd be essentially stealing from them.

Your question was if it's legal to sell it. No, it's not.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[luniac]

This isn't about the Hong Kong government but about the legitimate owner of the copyrights. They probably now belong to the author's family and it's their asset. By selling this book without their permission, obscure or not, you'd be essentially stealing from them.

Your question was if it's legal to sell it. No, it's not.

The author died without children or family, the publisher is long defunct.
Perhaps this is a victimless crime lol

Maybe i could do a kind of small hustle, buy the book, create ebook out of it, and peddle it for 10 bucks on relevant forums or something. Of course someone can end up releasing it online for free and the jig's up.
but i dont care.

its a super expensive rare book that costs hundreds of dollars online, i think lots of people would love to get a chance to read it.

 

[MTF]

Someone still owns the copyrights. If there are no surviving relatives, then it probably passed to the government. If anyone finds out you published it without their permission, they can sue you. It's not a question of whether they care. They're legal owners and only they have the rights to distribute it (or not).

 

[Raoul Duke]

Go for it. You have already made up your mind.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Dan_Cardone]

So this company has been dissolved

HAI FENG PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED - Hong Kong Business Directory

Dissolved. On 25 October 1988, HAI FENG PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED was registered as a company entity in Hong Kong.

www.hkgbusiness.com

There's one particular rare book they published decades ago, the author has since died, and the book is out of print as far as i know for decades.
i wanna buy it and make an ebook out of it.

Is it legal to sell the ebook?

Is the book "the craft of power" by any chance?

 

[luniac]

Is the book "the craft of power" by any chance?

nope lol

 

[luniac]

Go for it. You have already made up your mind.

naw i didn't, the book's expensive lol
might not even buy it.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[rollerskates]

If it's not in the public domain, then don't do it. You may not be aware of any heirs, but that doesn't mean there aren't any, even if Wikipedia says so. There could be an unknown or unacknowledged heir, in which case it is theirs, not yours.

 

[Kevin88660]

So this company has been dissolved

HAI FENG PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED - Hong Kong Business Directory

Dissolved. On 25 October 1988, HAI FENG PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED was registered as a company entity in Hong Kong.

www.hkgbusiness.com

There's one particular rare book they published decades ago, the author has since died, and the book is out of print as far as i know for decades.
i wanna buy it and make an ebook out of it.

Is it legal to sell the ebook?

If you could do it, then anyone else could do it?

Someone can just upload for free with no consequences if no ones owns it.

 

[Smivs]

Personally, I wouldn't do it. It seems like a bad decision that could catch up with you later on down the road. If that's something that you can be ok with then that has to be your own decision.

Good luck either way.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Lucky Lu]

Every country has different lenght periods for proprietary rights. After that stipulated period usually and in most jurisdictions the work becomes public domain for the benefit of the society all. Make sure that is the case and the period expired and you are good to go. Otherwise the righs are owned by someone or in many countries if there are no heirs or next of kin, the rights belong to the governement (state or nation domain depending on the country) and some times they enforce them.
Get advise on the law in Hong Kong before proceeding.