Pathfinder 1E Mythos beasties in Pathfinder Bestiaries?

[afstanton]

I'm almost thinking that there's an opportunity for an ongoing battle between the Tane and the Lovecraftian beasties that transcends mortal comprehension.

 

[Alzrius]

I'm very surprised that Howard's material isn't in the public domain. My (layman's) understanding was that, by the current law in the U.S., written works by private individuals enter the public domain seventy years after the author's death (Howard died in 1936).

 

[Voadam]

I'm very surprised that Howard's material isn't in the public domain. My (layman's) understanding was that, by the current law in the U.S., written works by private individuals enter the public domain seventy years after the author's death (Howard died in 1936).

According to wikipedia that 70 year term after death is if they are published after 1978. Published before 1978 they have a maximum copyright of 95 years after publication with death being irrelevant. And everything before 1923 is public domain.

Anything published between '23 and '78 that preserved its copyright by correct publication and registering and renewal (renewal not necessary after '63) is still protected until the 95 year term end.

Copyright law of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[James Jacobs]

Yup, and unlike Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard's estate has been pretty diligent about maintaining control. Sort of. It's a little complicated, as always seems to be the case with copyright law... but we actually have a pretty good relationship with the estate thanks to Planet Stories (we've published a Howard story in that line, after all)...

In fact, the actual status of Lovecraft's work regarding the public domain is REALLY complicated... but as far as I (and most others) can tell, it's all in there as of several years ago—which is why over the past ten years so many different reprints of Lovecraft's stories have been popping up in stores, I believe.

 

[afstanton]

IIRC, at least some of Derleth's stuff is *not* in public domain, and it's remarkably easy to get tangled up in that regard. If you reference stuff Lovecraft wrote, you should be fine, but if you hit upon something in a mythos story that Derleth wrote that *isn't* previously mentioned by Lovecraft, it's safer to avoid it.

That's my current understanding of it, at least.

 

[frankthedm]

something... that Derleth wrote... it's safer to avoid it.

Sounds like a good idea regardless of copyright law.