The Justification for the Public Domain

If there was ever any doubt about the necessity for a public domain, and a fair use policy, what I've just gone through removes it.

I've been searching for the supposed lost episodes of the radio show Sherlock Holmes from 1949, starring Snowden & Wright.  Only one episode exists, or is at least accessible.  I'm sure that they all exist somewhere, either in a private collection or hidden away in the bowels of copyright.

Anyway, during the process I found out that someone had discovered a trove of 'lost' Sherlock Holmes radio scripts from 1944-1945, written by Leslie Charteris (who wrote The Saint books) and Denis Green.  The latter author also wrote most of the later Holmes radio scripts with Anthony Boucher.  Many of these early shows are not available, so the scripts are invaluable to those interested (not many, admittedly).

These lost scripts, no longer lost, were published in two books, and I went searching for them, more than willing to purchase them for a reasonable price.

Well, you can probably guess what happened.  The audience for the books was limited, the print run was small, they are no longer available, and used copies go for upwards of $300 and more, if you can find them at all.  Yipes!

Something like this, if it's not in print, and not likely to get back into print, should fall immediately into the public domain.  Or at least be available via a fair use policy, as are many books not currently in print (such as those on the Radio History website).  If you're not going to attempt to make money from them, at least let us enthusiastic fans get them somehow.  Don't hide them away.

<End of rant>