[LINK] copyright question for you

[rene]

On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:27:27 +1000, Kim Holburn wrote:
[...]
> This is apparently current copyright law, based on the 2006
> amendments.  I was wondering if the fact that in this case the author
> died in 1927 means that copyright comes under a different law.

> In this case some of the author's work was published but some is
> unpublished and it is the unpublished work that is in question.  Also
> it appears that if the author is dead then the ownership is based on
> (from the above quote) "left by will" or "laws re
> lating to intestacy" which I know little about and tracing the
> surviving relatives of someone who died in 1927 is not simple and was
> tried unsuccessfully 30 years ago.

Soiunds like the material in question would be what's apparently called 
"orphan works", Currently, apparently there's no means in AU law by which 
such material can be safely published, but the issue *might" be part of the 
ALRC copyright review recently announced. 

Suggest read:
Australian Copyright Council Fact Sheet - Orphan Works, Jan 2012
http://www.copyright.org.au/admin/cms-acc1/_images/20179098074f39b2f4a1991.
pdf

and/or numerous other docs about "orphan works" on AU web sites that are 
readily findable by search on that term.

Irene