#valancourt

[besotted-with-austen]

Isabella Thorpe: -but enough about me and James, my dear Catherine! Do tell, is there a gentleman that you find particularly handsome?

Catherine Morland: *stumped* sorry, what?

Isabella Thorpe: or you do not want to tell me?

Catherine Morland: that is not-

Isabella Thorpe: of course I understand that a lady has to keep some secrets, but we are so very close, are we not?

Catherine Morland: obviously, but-

Isabella Thorpe: *ready to open the waterworks* could you not make me your confidant? Your devoted friend Isabella?

Catherine Morland: *slowly* well-

Catherine Morland: I guess at the moment I find Valancourt very fascinating, but there is something about Vincenzo that always stuck with me-

Isabella Thorpe: *laughing* sweetie, I meant a real gentleman, not an imaginary one!

Catherine Morland:

Catherine Morland: oooooooh!

Isabella Thorpe: maybe someone we both know? That you met here?

Catherine Morland: *shocked* you know?

Isabella Thorpe: how could I not, when you pass so much time together? And he is so thoughtful, so attentive to your needs! No wonder you are head over heels!

Catherine Morland: *worried* am I so obvious?

Isabella Thorpe: *exaggerated* do not fret-I noticed because I am a woman, he most definitely has no idea yet!

Catherine Morland: *relieved* oh thank Goodness, I do not know if I am ready to tell Mr Tilney that I fancy him!

[elfwreck]

The word of the day is "Valancourt"

I need to flail about copyright law, and a DC Circuit Court decision that happened, err, yesterday:

Valancourt Books, LLC v. Merrick Garland, No. 21-5203 (D.C. Cir. 2023)

(You can google it. The Justia link has the full PDF.)

The ultra-short, tl;dr: Publishers don't have to submit 2 copies of their books to the Library of Congress anymore.

More details: Valancourt is an indie book publisher who skipped the "send two copies to the Library of Congress" part of copyright registration, in part because many of their works were public domain reprints, and in part because, well, they're a tiny indie publisher operating on a shoestring budget

I don't know how the LoC happened to notice them (certainly the vast majority of published works are NOT sent to the LoC, even if we leave out the digital works), but they did, and ordered them to send 2 copies of each of their works or face a hefty (for a small publisher) fine.

Valancourt fought back, claiming that, among other problems, the law (17 U.S. Code § 407 - Deposit of copies or phonorecords for Library of Congress) violates the 5th Amendment - it demands property of citizens without compensation.

Two lower courts sided with the gov't, saying that the benefits of copyright are extensive.

The DC Circuit court disagreed (emphasis added):

In urging us to view mandatory deposit as part of a voluntary exchange, the government cites the many benefits that copyright confers upon authors. But authors obtain those benefits upon fixation, and mandatory deposit grants no additional benefits. Tellingly, the government cannot point to a single incremental benefit that copyright owners receive for depositing works pursuant to Section 407. That provision then cannot represent a voluntary exchange for a benefit—there is no benefit at all.

Originally, depositing copies was a requirement of copyright registration - no copies, no copyright protection. Simple. Even had a practical purpose: in cases of infringement, the gov't had a copy of the original work to haul out to compare.

But the Copyright Act of 1976 threw that out - works were copyrighted "upon fixation of a work in a tangible medium," no registration required, not even the little © symbol.

Registration is required to pursue infringement claims. But. "The Act also removed loss of copyright as a sanction for failure to deposit." The 1976 Copyright Act was designed to say EVERYTHING IS COPYRIGHTED NO MATTER WHAT and not require anyone [companies] to do anything to secure those rights.

...It's been nearly 50 years since depositing 2 copies has given any benefit to publishers, but of course, they keep doing it, because the penalty for not doing so is heavy government fines.

Until someone (Valancourt) successfully argued that "requiring property without compensation" is a violation of our 5th amendment rights.

[waywordsstudio]

Review: "Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, Vols 1 & 2" edited by James D. Jenkins and Ryan Cagle -

Review: "Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, Vols 1 & 2" edited by James D. Jenkins and Ryan Cagle -

While not every story is terrifying, the Valancourt project is unique and important, bringing new and veteran writers into the English-reading world for the first time. What results is a unique collection with a wide range of concepts of horror. Worth reading, either or both volumes!

[derangedrhythms]

Beside us the lake murmurs. I drown in her eyes.

Martin Steyn, The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories: Volume One; from 'Kira', tr. James D. Jenkins

[omercifulheaves]

You know, I love Manly Wade Wellman's John The Balladeer stories and I really appreciate Valancourt books getting them back in print but I've got to have a slight chuckle at the cover art they went with for their release, which suggests less the tone of the stories and more "folk infused heavy metal album." Now granted, I haven't read all of the Balladeer stories, so maybe there is one where he fights Purgatori from CHAOS! Comics. Art by Ilan Sheady

[hotpinkstaples]

MUSLIM HORROR FICTION MADE THE FINAL CUT!!!!

[absentmoon]

i finished severance, it was eerily relatable since the pandemic and also because of some of my personal experiences……. it was also SO much to digest & so heavy while simultaneously being fast paced and gripping. its a commentary on consumerism and on capitalism on work on race on immigration on the human condition……… amazing.

OMG YOU FINISHED ALREADY its so so so so goodddgfhbggfhfjfhfgdgdfd GOD. you UNDERSTAND. can you believe that was ling ma's debut novel

[teenyzombie]

we’re all ready for bedtime

[leonsrightarm]

i think the mysteries of udolpho would make for a really fun high budget tv series if done right. but if they did ever do it they would probably cut out most if not all of the times emily faints/swoons which is really tragic to imagine. even contemplating it is... it's too much... i'm starting to feel dizzy... *collapses weakly onto my settee*

[metrogeek]

@metrogeek

[pennyngram]

Ok I'm in a bit of a conundrum.

Technically, I've just taken a picture of a quote from Valancourt who is a guy from The Mysteries of Udolpho (novel by Anne Radcliffe) so uhhhhh. Does this count? Do I have to get married to the creepy guy who likes strolling in my garden in the middle of the night??

Otherwise, here is Simran.

PLEASE LET ME MARRY SIMRAN LOOK AT HER SHE IS SO PRETTY <2

Thank youuuu @anna-jo for the tag :D

Tagging: @soultea, @julyzaa, @linmeiwei @mbirafics, @rainpiratequeen, @theoceansblog + whoever would like to partecipate!

KSKSJSLSKSKLASIIS OKAY GENOS-

I'D NEVER SAY NO TO U 🤚

Tagging: @kingkyoujurou @presidentmonica @laudthingcat @kampfkuchen85 @cherrykamado @bxbycake @happygoluckyalexis @tonaken + anyone who wants to <3

[booksinpiles]

[ruinedhead]

The Mummy

The MummyRiccardo Stephens | Valancourt Books | 2016 (first published 1912) | 246 pages Its straightforward title may suggest a monster rampage, but Riccardo Stephen’s 1912 novel is instead a supernaturally flavored parlor mystery. Curmudgeonly bachelor Dr. Armiston (lamenting his old age at 50!) is brought into consultation regarding a pair of strange deaths, whose common feature is the…

[waywordsstudio]

3 Word Review: “The Valancourt Books of World Horror Stories, Vols 1 & 2” edited by James Jenkins and Ryan Cagle -

#books #bookreviews #bookworm #readreadread #3words #horror #anthology #horrorstories #worldhorror #valancourt

[derangedrhythms]

Martin Steyn, The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories: Volume One; from 'Kira', tr. James D. Jenkins

TEXT ID: A lake is different from the sea. There isn't the constant energy of the surf breaking on the shore, it's like something that breathes. That waits.

[someonelookingpraediti]

Currently Reading...

The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories - various authors

I adore a good ghost story. When I was a kid, I had a book of ghost stories - a mix of old classic tales and modern short stories, and I must have read that book cover to cover dozens of times.

I’ve been let down recently by the ghost stories I’ve come across. I’ve read a few books of short horror stories in the past couple of years, and they just weren’t all I remembered them being.

I assumed this was because I had grown up and stopped believing in the fantastical. But actually, I now think it’s because I’ve been reading modern works. It’s true what they say: they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.

There’s something lacking in modern ghost stories, that these tales had in spades - and I think it’s the heart.

Nowadays, writers are always expected to be new and original and innovative. They focus on atmosphere and mystery. They make their story as spooky and strange as possible, and most of the time, leave you guessing, unsatisfied.

But this book was full of a different breed of story. For the most part, they weren’t ghost stories, they were stories that just happened to have a ghost in them. They were about people. We saw the people in their ordinary lives, with families, falling in love, chasing a dream. And when a ghost came along, we understood exactly what these people had to lose.

I think that’s why modern ghost stories so rarely live up to the Victorian era tales - they’re only about scaring the audience. These stories taught us to care for the characters.