Talk:The Diary of Jack the Ripper

WTF---

You can't put this here... if it's a modern forgery, as generally believed, it's under copyright and needs to be deleted.


 * There are two possible authors for it, one is Jack the Ripper, who died more than 100 years ago, making it public domain...the other is Michael Barret, who explicitly stated that the document was public domain when he released it. Either way, PD wins. λεμα σαβαχθανει (talk) (CRIMINALS ARE MADE, NOT BORN) 21:07, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
 * No, copyright is based upon first publication date, not writing, and Michael Barret wouldn't be the copyright owner as he sold all rights. 68.52.145.35 23:25, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
 * And, on top of that, there are other faults with that logic: 1) Michael Barret has also said he wrote it. 2) There are certainly more people than just those two who could have written it. His wife, for starters. 3) Things don't because "public domain" just by someone claims they put it there, especially when we don't know they wrote it/they didn't have the rights (rights were sold). 4) Do you have any proof of this statement? One that would hold up to real legal standards? 68.52.145.35 21:10, 9 March 2010 (UTC)

The bottom of the article page dates it '1869'. Either it's a worse forgery than I thought, or there's been a transcription error somewhere...
 * haha, indeed it was a transcription error (6s do resembles 9s!), I've fixed it. Good catch, much appreciate it. Sherurcij Collaboration of the Week: Author:Alfred Nobel 00:09, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

It says "although the first 48 pages of the manuscript are missing" which is entirely misleading. The first 48 pages of the physical book are missing, but there nothing to say (and no-one's seriously claimed) that any of the actual text is missing.

Deletion Request Received at OTRS
Dear Sirs,

I am owner of the copyright in the original manuscript diary printed in the book The Diary of Jack the Ripper (first published in 1993).

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Diary_of_Jack_the_Ripper

It was purchased by me by means of a legal document drawn up by the administrators of Smith Gryphon Ltd in 1997, who had owned the copyright in the original handwritten and transcribed texts published within the book The Diary of Jack the Ripper in 1993, as is clearly shown in the verso-title page of all published copies of The Diary of Jack the Ripper, including the editions published since 1997 by John Blake Publishing Ltd.

Please therefore remove immediately the said copyrighted words in their entirety from Wikisource, Wikipedia and any other sites owned by you. If they are not removed within seven days of the date of this notice, I will instruct my lawyers, Harbottle and Lewis, of Hanover Square, London W1, to issue a writ to restrain you from further infringement of my Copyright and my Intellectual Rights, together with a claim for substantial damages and costs. In the event, that you do agree to comply with the above demands by Tuesday 29th May 2012, I shall withhold any legal action.

Robert Smith Robert Smith Literary Agency 12 Bridge Wharf 156 Caledonian Road London N1 9UU Ronhjones (talk) 16:11, 22 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Replied to Mr. Smith, telling him article has been tagged, and copied to legal as well. Ronhjones (talk) 16:19, 22 May 2012 (UTC)