xt7x69700p25 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7x69700p25/data/mets.xml  Thomas Merton 1960-04-13 This letter is from collection 75m28 Thomas Merton papers. archival material 75m28 English  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Thomas Merton correspondence Letter from Thomas Merton to Victor Hammer, April 13, 1960 text Letter from Thomas Merton to Victor Hammer, April 13, 1960 1960 1960-04-13 2023 true xt7x69700p25 section xt7x69700p25 _|._

ABBEY OF GETHSEMANI

TRAPNST.KENTUCKY

April 13,1960

Dear Victor:

Just after I mailed rtrletter yesterday I received your note about the
copyright. The cepyright line y u showed me before, for‘the Stanperia del
Santuccio, is perféctly all right. Ybu will have to get Ebrm E from the
copyright office at the Library of Congress, fill it in, have it nota-
rized and send it in with four dollars. If you like,T i Exik could save you
this hnxhtr bother by taking out the copyright in my name and doing all that
here. But as to who has the cwpyright that is indif erent. You might as well.

T am no expert in the law. J. might be able to give you more information.
is I understand it, once a thin; is printed, no matter how it is printed,
and once it is distributed, if it is not copyri“htcd, the mwthor has no protec—
tion if someone else wants to print it. Pflfillnb thing without copyr:tght
is tantamount to relinquishinr one's right to exclusive publication of that
text. {hether pro manuscxipto make es any differenc I cannot say. There might
be some legal anglET—fifit—EBEH, I don' t even know what would be the situation
if a manuscript in circulation were taken and printed.

Strictly spealzing, a non—c opyrighted book the t is printed by someone else
is not pirated. T-rracy in this matter wowld seem to invrlve a real violation
of leual rights,t he publication Ol a copyrig lfoed book :Lll33 ally (is hap oens
when a book printed in another country is rep1: inted sorrewhere else, clandestine
ly, in such a way that it would be morally imxp ossible, or too expelisive, to
prosecute.)

Dm,asl:my,lamnoemfiru

all blessinqs.

in Christ Our Lord

We»