On 1 January 2016, over 70 years after Hitler's death, MEIN KAMPF will fall into the public domain..

[Surya Gayatri]

Ironically, ARTE TV (a French/German channel here in France) ran a compelling and pertinent,
but equally perturbing documentary on the very night of the latest Republican debate/hate-fest.

The resonances were uncanny. Title of the programme? "Mein Kampf, Manifesto of Hate"

"On 1 January 2016, over 70 years after the death of its author, Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf will fall into the public domain. Should we republish it as the founding document of Nazism? ARTE's documentary explores the issues raised by this sadly infamous work, the focus of so much controversy and fantasy.

The "founding document" of Nazism, written by Aldolf Hilter during his emprisonment after the failed putsch of 1923, is both autobiography and political manifesto. In its more than 700 pages, it exposes the spirit of revenge, the obsessive hatred of Jews and the desire for German expansionism of its author."

I was glued to the screen. The historical parallels with the political climate in the US are profoundly disquieting.

At the end of the film, one of the German researcher's conclusions just hit me right between the eyes:

"What is the most important lesson to be drawn from this catastrophic chapter of European history? That a nation's political life may appear to have a semblance of "normality", but that things can tip over into insanity in the wink of a eye."

[stopbush]

1. Just in time for the Rs to use it royalty free in their primaries!

[Surya Gayatri]

2. ^^^This!^^^

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. What public purpose is served by a copyright that persists 70 years after the death of the author?

[Surya Gayatri]

4. Not necessarily copyright, but rather a prohibition on its reprinting.

The prohibition runs out on Jan. 1.

[Aristus]

5. My question is: who have the royalties been going to all these years?

Hitler's half-sister, Paula, and her family?

[Surya Gayatri]

8. There has been a universally agreed prohibition on the book's reprinting,

and it runs out on Jan 1.

[Aristus]

10. What prohibition? And who agreed to it?

I remember back when they had bookstores, I could walk right in and find a paperback copy of Mein Kampf in the Politics/History section.

I never bought a copy, but I considered it several times in order to find phrases that parallel the American right-wing ascent to power.

[Surya Gayatri]

13. As I understand it, agreed in Europe post-war as regards the

full, unexpurgated version in the original German.

There are copies and extracts available all over the internet. But, the original 1923 German version has been kept under wraps.

[Aristus]

14. I see. Thanks.

So it's Germany not publishing it in the original German. That makes sense, considering all of the other ways they've eradicated Nazi imagery and memorabilia from public life.

[Surya Gayatri]

15. It's the German Institute of Contemporary History which will be

in charge of republishing it with exhaustive annotations and footnotes, as a historical study.

That was the only way German authorities would agree to it being republished.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institut_f%C3%BCr_Zeitgeschichte

[lumberjack_jeff]

16. Universally?

I've had bad weekends, but agreeing to this would be uncharacteristic, even for me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. The state of Bavaria got all the rights to his estate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mein_Kampf#Current_availability

so they refused any permissions to print it.

[whatthehey]

6. Ask the Disney lawyers

The copyright extensions ad nauseam are their raison d'etre.

[LiberalAndProud]

11. It keeps David Miscavige in the money.

So there's that.

[Nailzberg]

7. Now I can finally adapt it into a musical without paying the royalties.

I've been waiting for this day.

[Surya Gayatri]

9. Mel Brooks got there before you...LOL!

[Initech]

12. Great - that's what Trump supporters need!

[smirkymonkey]

19. Don't worry, most of them are illiterate.

[Lancero]

18. Meanwhile, the copyright was extended on a book that provides a better look at the Nazi era...

http://www.history.com/news/anne-franks-diary-now-has-co-author-extended-copyright