Chesterton gains extra decade through Spanish transitional provisions

Last month the Madrid Court of Appeal surprised the literary world when it held that the works of British author G. K. Chesterton remained in copyright, notwithstanding the fact that the author died in 1936, because his post mortem auctoris copyright term was governed by the transitional provisions of Spain's current copyright law of 1987. Under the previous law, dating back to 1879, protection was provided for a full 80 years after death. This ruling gives the copyright holders control of the still-popular Father Brown series until the end of 2016.

The decision of the Madrid Court of Appeal is available in full, in the original Spanish, here.

Source: Antonio Castán (ELZABURU, Madrid)