User talk:Chimichunga333

Gabriel Fahrenheit

This series of edits by you provides a lot of interesting material but also raises several questions. You write: The remainder of the paper was translated by Carmen Giunta.--CJG. (i) Is "CJG" Carmen Giunta? (ii) What assurances can you give that all of this material is released by its author(s) under the GFDL? -- Hoary 14:44, 6 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Apparently the Source Book in Physics (New York: McGraw-Hill) by William Francis Magie was published in 1935, 72 years ago. There's no date provided on when the English translation from Latin was made, but I assume that it was made before the publication of the source book. Therefore, the copyright must have long expired. I have reformatted that excerpt and added a table for Fahrenheit's findings. --Poeticbent talk 17:08, 6 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If the translation from Latin were published in 1930, let's say, then my hazy understanding of US copyright law tells me that, thanks to Sonny Bono's Mickey Mouse Protection Act and contrary to common sense, it should be assumed to be copyright. However, it might not be copyright. For a handy summary of US copyright law, see this.

Meanwhile, there's a Carmen Giunta who appears to be alive and well right now (and obviously hasn't been dead for 70 years, as a US college grants him/her a website), and who is supplying old texts on chemistry; although not, as far as I can see, on physics. Just a coincidence? -- Hoary 00:32, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I see what you mean. Only if the copyright was NOT renewed the Source Book in Physics by McGraw-Hill published in 1935 would fall into public domain. (See: "Works published in the US" from "1923 through 1963." [1]) We don't know that though. I suggest you do what you think is right. The part translated by Carmen Giunta ought to be removed. I'll leave the rest to your discretion. --Poeticbent talk 02:52, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]