tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post6563280677837694234..comments2024-03-29T13:59:42.629+00:00Comments on The IPKat: Yet another copyright struggle about "Mein Kampf"Verónica RodrÃguez Arguijohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763207846940036921noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-37059272448696742322012-01-18T21:39:05.563+00:002012-01-18T21:39:05.563+00:00I believe that the book should be mandatory readin...I believe that the book should be mandatory reading for young Germans and Austrians (and recommended reading for everybody else). If this can only be accomplished by re-publishing it (as I think it does), then let's do so.<br /><br />BTW, the book is quite different from what one would expect. Alfred Rosenberg, for instance, is much more explicit.George Sinclairnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-91394106579822266772012-01-18T12:45:00.674+00:002012-01-18T12:45:00.674+00:00@Dr Michael Factor: my very personal and absolute...@Dr Michael Factor: my very personal and absolutely subjective view is that it should not be spread further. I usually do not like censorship of any kind and believe that people should be allowed to form their own views, absolutely agree with you. This to me is a special case.Birgit Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02822674465997696890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-74898153730943569352012-01-18T12:33:00.631+00:002012-01-18T12:33:00.631+00:00@Karl-Friedrich Lenz - Thanks for your comment. I...@Karl-Friedrich Lenz - Thanks for your comment. I remember that we discussed Section 130 StGB at uni and it was previously also my view that the book could qualify as "Volksverhetzung" or "incitement to hatred" in the sense of 130 StGB (http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stgb/englisch_stgb.html#StGBengl_000P130). However, it seems to be general view now that it does not fall under 130 StGB. I can certainly see how you would argue 130 StGB which would also make it a lot more clear to the general public why it cannot be published.Birgit Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02822674465997696890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-8930553690740190332012-01-18T03:44:48.438+00:002012-01-18T03:44:48.438+00:00Thank you for that interesting article.
I am not ...Thank you for that interesting article.<br /><br />I am not sure if "Mein Kampf" is "not banned in Germany". While the Federal Court of Justice acquitted someone in 1979 who offered two historical books at a flea market, they didn't discuss Article 130 of the penal law, only Article 86.<br /><br />If the publication is illegal, one would need to discuss if it is appropriate to recognize copyright in illegal works. That is an interesting question which merits considering when discussing why there is copyright in the first place. It would also be necessary to explain why copyright in illegal works is possible while patents in illegal or immoral inventions are not.Karl-Friedrich Lenzhttp://k.lenz.name/LBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-63794567498344159072012-01-18T01:00:29.844+00:002012-01-18T01:00:29.844+00:00I do not subscribe to an Index Librorum Prohibitor...I do not subscribe to an Index Librorum Prohibitorum, and I find it a mistrust in the intelligence of potential readers to ban a book. After all, intelligence is not even a prerequisite to voting in a democracy.<br /><br />That said, I am wondering more and more why people outside of Germany who did read Mein Kampf and compared the content to real life in Germany after 1933 were not listened to. Many of Leland Stone's articles could not be printed in New York Herald Tribune, and he had to publish them in a book, "Nazi Germany Means War" in 1933 (London). When E.O. Lorimer published the Penguin Book "What Hitler Wants" in 1939 it was already too late. At that time, Sinclair Lewis had written "It Can't Happen Here" in 1935, demonstrating on paper that it could - in the US. By 1939 the complete and unexpurgated English translation of Mein Kampf was published by Stackpole Sons in New York. But the translation is so heavy and Germanistic that most people might want to learn German to read the original.<br /><br />It is very strange that Germany that has published so much from the Nazi era archives at low cost is using the Berne convention to prevent publication of one of the most important documents to understand the era.<br /><br />And, again, I wonder why the death of the author has been used to calculate the protection period. It would be much more democratic to use the longer of the two periods: 100 years after the birth of the author or the actual life span. All authors would be equal.<br /><br />George Brock-NannestadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-9214005325059808462012-01-17T22:56:51.935+00:002012-01-17T22:56:51.935+00:00My edition of Mein Kampf was published in the UK i...My edition of Mein Kampf was published in the UK in the 1930s as a fund raiser for the British Red Cross. <br /><br />I am not a great fan of banning books, even badly written, racist rubbish like Mein Kampf, but believe it may be justified to do so if publication may trigger Antisemitism.<br /><br />If that is the fear, the book should be banned on those grounds, not by abusing copyright law.Dr Michael Factorhttp://www.ipfactor.co.ilnoreply@blogger.com