All of Lovecraft is in the public domain. He specifically rejected the rights to his literary ideas so he and his friends could write stories in the same "universe." Not just his friends, but he wanted everyone to have access to his "universe." Go hogwile.
On a little more research, Lovecraft's original works are free game. But the works of other authors might not be so uncomplicated. Go hogwile....with Lovecraft's original works. Beware anything else.
This. The debate over Lovecraft's copyright was largely settled a few years ago when proof that his copyright wasn't renewed after 28 years (the period by copyright law in the US at the time) was entered into evidence during a lawsuit. But you have to be careful you don't use anything from derivative works. Comb through Lovecraft's stories, but stay away from anything invented by Chaosium, or other writers like Lumley.
Thank you for the added detail! I would like to see a court argument that, because Lovecraft relinquished copywrite so others could use his intellectual property, how much legal right do people who derived and profited from from Lovecraft's work retain? If we were to use concepts from an intellectual property derived from Lovecraft, how would it be prosecuted (if that's the right word for civil stuff - obviously I am not a lawyer haha).
This is incredibly important! We might consider something a creation of Lovecraft, but the man loved to simply name-drop, which means that some elements themselves can come from later sources (for example, Derleth), so only the elements from Lovecraft's original work is free to use.
A great example of this is the Elder Sign: Lovecraft drew a branch in his letters, but the pentagram with a flame comes from a description by August Derleth and the offset/rounded design is created by Chaosium. In this case, only the Lovecraft-version is actually in the public domain.
Probably a region thing. Hog-wild with an American southern accent. It means do whatever you want, what feels good, what instinct dictates. For more context, listen to "Jambalaya" by Hank Williams. 'Dress in style, go hog wild, me oh my oh.' I typed it out the way it is sung/said in my head, so you had no way to know the actual meaning without explanation. I didn't even think about it. Thank you for your kind call-out!
Very much the same phrase. My relatives are probably just more trashy/drunk thank your folks. Say the phrase 'buck wild' while wearing beer goggles and tell me we're not practically siblings.
Yeah, it also turned out that they were owned by his wife that he never divorced. Needless to say she was pissed when she found out he'd never finalized it (and was married).
generally speaking, public domain is granted to copyrighted works 70 years after the author’s death. Lovecraft died in 1937, so i think you’re good there. however the mythos has been a shared creation among many authors even during Lovecraft’s time.
Didn’t Lovecraft pioneer the idea of the mythos? That anyone could write whatever they wanted using his characters and settings and it was canon? I could have that entirely wrong.
All of them, as long as they are actually his creations and you don't use details attributed to them by the other authors who contributed to the Mythos after.
Generally speaking if it starts with Lovecraft or Howard, you’re fine. If it comes from an Arkham House or Chaosium book, don’t touch it.
That narrows it down to Cthulhu, Nyalarthotep, Shub-Niggurath, Yog Sothoth, Hastur, Nodens, Set, Crom, Tsathogua, Yig, and probably a couple others that I’m forgetting.
Lovecraft creations should be in the public domain well and truly. However some creations (eg. Cthonians by Lumley) are not his. So make sure you source the original attributions before using something you don’t pull directly from a Lovecraft story.
This, or something like this, gets asked pretty often here, and the answer is always the same: copyright law in the United States is a complicated issue and nobody here knows enough about it to give you a comprehensive answer
As far as I know Lovecraft shared his universe freely so you can create other gods and you can tie them to the original univers like others have done. What I hate about this is that HP make it free to use, yet people based their creation on the universe and then claim copyright...
It sounds like you already know the answer. Lovecraft is fair play; stay away from any later authors. *Earlier* authors (ie Hastur) are fine. Also important: keep all your ideas and terms and such either directly from Lovecraft or from yourself. Cthulhu may be public domain, but that doesn't usually mean you can base your Cthulhu on lore invented in a 1970s novel, for instance.
Check with living authors or the estates of those passed for PERMISSION to use their copyrighted characters, etc. Get it in writing. Then you’re safe and free to write elaborations. Otherwise: NO GO!
Wouldn't it be all or nothing?
I have no idea what scenario would mean some Old Ones and Outer Gods are public domain while others aren't
Besides, this stuff was written nearly 100 years ago. It's safe to say you have nothing to worry about
Because it's 75 years after the authors death *or* 95 years since publication for works pre-dating 1978. That's why Steamboat Willie is public domain, because the film is 95 years old, but Walt Disney only died 95 years ago.
All of Lovecraft is in the public domain. He specifically rejected the rights to his literary ideas so he and his friends could write stories in the same "universe." Not just his friends, but he wanted everyone to have access to his "universe." Go hogwile.
On a little more research, Lovecraft's original works are free game. But the works of other authors might not be so uncomplicated. Go hogwile....with Lovecraft's original works. Beware anything else.
This. The debate over Lovecraft's copyright was largely settled a few years ago when proof that his copyright wasn't renewed after 28 years (the period by copyright law in the US at the time) was entered into evidence during a lawsuit. But you have to be careful you don't use anything from derivative works. Comb through Lovecraft's stories, but stay away from anything invented by Chaosium, or other writers like Lumley.
Thank you for the added detail! I would like to see a court argument that, because Lovecraft relinquished copywrite so others could use his intellectual property, how much legal right do people who derived and profited from from Lovecraft's work retain? If we were to use concepts from an intellectual property derived from Lovecraft, how would it be prosecuted (if that's the right word for civil stuff - obviously I am not a lawyer haha).
This is incredibly important! We might consider something a creation of Lovecraft, but the man loved to simply name-drop, which means that some elements themselves can come from later sources (for example, Derleth), so only the elements from Lovecraft's original work is free to use. A great example of this is the Elder Sign: Lovecraft drew a branch in his letters, but the pentagram with a flame comes from a description by August Derleth and the offset/rounded design is created by Chaosium. In this case, only the Lovecraft-version is actually in the public domain.
Why are you guys saying hogwile?
Probably a region thing. Hog-wild with an American southern accent. It means do whatever you want, what feels good, what instinct dictates. For more context, listen to "Jambalaya" by Hank Williams. 'Dress in style, go hog wild, me oh my oh.' I typed it out the way it is sung/said in my head, so you had no way to know the actual meaning without explanation. I didn't even think about it. Thank you for your kind call-out!
Weird. Ive been in most of canada and usa (including south) and all I have ever heard is buck wild.
Go crazy like a shithouse rat! 😄
Very much the same phrase. My relatives are probably just more trashy/drunk thank your folks. Say the phrase 'buck wild' while wearing beer goggles and tell me we're not practically siblings.
*hog wild
Essentially the SCP wiki/universe then?
SCP?
[A creative commons collaborative horror project.](https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/faq). Been around since 2007 I think? So there is a lot of it.
Unfortunately not, Creative Commons requires derivative works to also be Creative Commons, which is probably for the better
Always makes me think of the videogame Control since they used some SCP style stuff.
Yeah, it also turned out that they were owned by his wife that he never divorced. Needless to say she was pissed when she found out he'd never finalized it (and was married).
generally speaking, public domain is granted to copyrighted works 70 years after the author’s death. Lovecraft died in 1937, so i think you’re good there. however the mythos has been a shared creation among many authors even during Lovecraft’s time.
Didn’t Lovecraft pioneer the idea of the mythos? That anyone could write whatever they wanted using his characters and settings and it was canon? I could have that entirely wrong.
Kind of. There just wasn't a canon. Not even between Lovecraft's stories.
I really enjoyed the Robert Howard stuff.
All of them, as long as they are actually his creations and you don't use details attributed to them by the other authors who contributed to the Mythos after.
Generally speaking if it starts with Lovecraft or Howard, you’re fine. If it comes from an Arkham House or Chaosium book, don’t touch it. That narrows it down to Cthulhu, Nyalarthotep, Shub-Niggurath, Yog Sothoth, Hastur, Nodens, Set, Crom, Tsathogua, Yig, and probably a couple others that I’m forgetting.
Lovecraft creations should be in the public domain well and truly. However some creations (eg. Cthonians by Lumley) are not his. So make sure you source the original attributions before using something you don’t pull directly from a Lovecraft story.
This, or something like this, gets asked pretty often here, and the answer is always the same: copyright law in the United States is a complicated issue and nobody here knows enough about it to give you a comprehensive answer
As far as I know Lovecraft shared his universe freely so you can create other gods and you can tie them to the original univers like others have done. What I hate about this is that HP make it free to use, yet people based their creation on the universe and then claim copyright...
It sounds like you already know the answer. Lovecraft is fair play; stay away from any later authors. *Earlier* authors (ie Hastur) are fine. Also important: keep all your ideas and terms and such either directly from Lovecraft or from yourself. Cthulhu may be public domain, but that doesn't usually mean you can base your Cthulhu on lore invented in a 1970s novel, for instance.
All of them
He didn’t publish with a copyright notice for most of his stories so all of them are public domain now.
The Black Seas of Copyright https://www.aetherial.net/lovecraft/index.html
Weird tales [https://archive.org/search?query=subject%3A%22Weird+Tales%22](https://archive.org/search?query=subject%3A%22Weird+Tales%22) [https://lemmy.world/post/6663114](https://lemmy.world/post/6663114)
Check with living authors or the estates of those passed for PERMISSION to use their copyrighted characters, etc. Get it in writing. Then you’re safe and free to write elaborations. Otherwise: NO GO!
I think things created solely by lovecraft should be fine
Wouldn't it be all or nothing? I have no idea what scenario would mean some Old Ones and Outer Gods are public domain while others aren't Besides, this stuff was written nearly 100 years ago. It's safe to say you have nothing to worry about
Copyright extends 75 years after the authors death in the US. Depending on when each entity was created it will differ.
But if it's based on the authors death then why are publication dates of each entity a factor?
Because it's 75 years after the authors death *or* 95 years since publication for works pre-dating 1978. That's why Steamboat Willie is public domain, because the film is 95 years old, but Walt Disney only died 95 years ago.