[digital-copyright] public domain/searching copyright records

["Colson, Jeannie" <jcolson@xxxxxxx>]

Ideas, colleagues?



A faculty member wants to make use of a book published in 1943. Books
published then were copyrighted for 28 years, unless renewed. The
renewal year, then, should have been 1971. Copyright.gov's search begins
with 1978, so is not helpful. Google, interestingly, provides the
"Catalog of Copyright Entries" that includes the original registration
with the copyright office, but not for anything after that. Publisher
doesn't seem to exist since mid-1960s.



Copyright office charges a minimum of $165 to do a search. Would you?
Would you be willing to risk that renewal wasn't done and that the item
is public domain?



Note: I can find images of first 6 pages (up to toc) in one university
library's website, but no full text anywhere.



What do you think? What's my next step?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeannie Colson

Campus Copyright Advisor/Dist. Ed. Librarian

Lee College

Baytown, TX 77522

jcolson@xxxxxxx

281-425-6497