Thursday 21 November 2013

In Memoriam: C S. Lewis (1898 - November 22,1963)

Often overshadowed by other events on November 22,1963 was the passing of writer C.S. Lewis. Lewis converted to Christianity under the influence of his friend J.R.R. Tolkien while at Oxford. His books on apologetics, his Narnia series and other novels have spawned a virtual publishing empire. This particular anniversary of his death is quite significant. This is the fiftieth anniversary of his death and in Canada that is quite important. Let me quote the relevant section of the copyright act.

 The term for which copyright shall subsist shall, except as otherwise expressly provided by this Act, be the life of the author, the remainder of the calendar year in which the author dies, and a period of fifty years following the end of that calendar year.

That's right... Canada is a "life plus 50" country under copyright law. When the copyright on C.S. Lewis' works expires at midnight on December 31,2013 everything published during his lifetime will pass into the public domain in this country. Of course this does not apply to anything published posthumously. Not only will C.S. Lewis join such immortals as William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, Lord Byron, William Blake, Robert Herrick and a host of others by having a plaque dedicated to him in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey. His works will join theirs in being the part of the common heritage of mankind... at least in Canada.

1 comment:

Barona said...

Independently working on different posts, you and I have come up with really a related posts. The holy simplicity of Marianna Popieluszko would no doubt be brought out as the antidote to the demonic "guidance" offered in the Screwtape Letters.