Category: News

The Last Of The Masters by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Here is the relevant passage from the Wikipedia entry:

After the author’s death, a nonexistent story with the same title was included under the new renewal registration number RE0000190631. This created the appearance that “The Last Of The Masters” was still under copyright protection.

I have a scan of that false renewal. It is HERE.

The Last Of The Masters was not published in Imaginative Tales, November 1955 (see for yourself HERE).

The Last Of The Masters was first published in Orbit Science Fiction No. 5. And that issue of that magazine was published and copyrighted in 1954:

As the copyright for The Last Of The Masters was not properly renewed in its 28th year The Last Of The Masters by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Here is a |PDF| of The Last Of The Masters.

Posted by Jesse Willis

James P. Crow, a 1954 short story by Philip K. Dick, is PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Like many other stories by Philip K. Dick of this era, James P. Crow was thought to have had its copyright renewed. Indeed, a search of the copyright.gov records reveals a renewal claim on document “RE0000190631.”

But, this renewal is fraudulent. It has James P. Crow having been published in “Planet stories, spring 1955”.

At the time of the filing of “RE0000190631” James P. Crow was already in the public domain because it was not renewed in its 28th year.

See for yourself.

Here is all the evidence.

A photocopy of the actual renewal as filled out “Laura Coelho, Christopher Dick & Isa Dick”:

Here is the table of contents for the issue of the magazine that the estate of Philip K. Dick claimed that James P. Crow was first published:

As you can see there is no Philip K. Dick story even in that issue.

Here is the table of contents from the original place of publication, Planet Stories, May 1954:

James P. Crow by Philip K. Dick is therefore PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Here is a |PDF| of James P. Crow.

Posted by Jesse Willis