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Identify the edition before reusing a book
- Original work
- Identify author and first publication.
- Chosen translation
- Examine the edition actually used.
- Record edition, translator and reused elements.
- Distinguish US review from your distribution territory.
- Check applicable rights for that edition before publication.
Fictional example: a workshop finds two translations of the same novel. It records translators and editions rather than using their texts interchangeably. The novel’s presence in a digital library does not alone settle each translation’s status in the intended distribution country.
Your useful record: Record, edition, translator and intended reuse territory.
This documentary method does not establish legal permission to reuse content.
Editorial method informed by Project Gutenberg — Copyright How-To. Documentation consulted on . Examples are fictional exercises, not results from a live service test.
Check the edition and reuse territory
Project Gutenberg publishes ebooks whose legal status is mainly assessed in the United States. A book’s status can differ elsewhere. A digital transcription is not necessarily identical to the print edition from which it was produced.
- Link to retain
- The book’s landing page rather than a direct file link.
- Edition
- Identify translation, illustrator and possible changes.
- Territory
- Check rights in the country where reuse occurs.
- Formats and conversion
- Project Gutenberg explains that plain text and HTML are widely used as master formats, with other formats generated by conversion. To verify a passage or illustration, identify the actual file opened rather than treating all downloads as identical.
- Reading check
- After downloading for an e-reader, open the file on the intended device and check accents, contents navigation and available illustrations. Retain the book identifier and format with your notes; device pagination can vary with display settings.
- Gutenberg review scope
- Gutenberg’s copyright research concerns United States law.
Source: Project Gutenberg — Copyright How-To · consulted on - Translation and edition
- A translation has a copyright situation independent of the original.
Source: Project Gutenberg — Copyright How-To · consulted on
Does inclusion in Gutenberg guarantee unrestricted reuse in France?
No. Check territorial rights for the text, translation and illustrations.
Initial profile documentation
- Contrôler l’édition et le territoire de réutilisation / Check the edition and reuse territory ↗
- Project Gutenberg — Formats des fichiers ↗
Initial profile documentation consulted on . Added details carry their own source and consultation date above.
Editorial selection, without website certification. Read our method.