--- In BoundaryPoint@y..., "anorak222" <wolfi.junkmail@s...> wrote:
> --- In BoundaryPoint@y..., Ernst Stavro Blofeld <blofeld_es@y...>
> wrote:
>
> > Does anyone know the legal basis of asking this kind
> > of money for the maps? Who owns the copyright of these
> > maps?
>
> I seem to remember TV documentaries about him. If memory serves, he
> used to be the cartographer who made these maps, when he worked for
> the border guards. Now he makes his life from running this document
> centre. He's also the author of this book:
> http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/393086388X
>
> > Should the copyright not now be the property of all
> > workers and farmers of the former East Germany, since
> > they have owned the maps all along anyway? Or, at
> > least, some non-profit organisation of the united
> > Germany?
>
> Well, that's not how it works. "The workers and farmers" is a void
> concept. Legally, what was euphemistically called "people's
> property", was property of the East German government or a body
owned
> by it (e.g. a company founded by it, the military, etc.). All of
that
> was inherited by the (former West, now United) German govt in 1990,
> who then decided what to do with it. Rights are not the main assets
> thus inherited. Real estate, factories etc. are.
>
> That said, German law works different than Anglo-Saxon
> law. "Copyright" doesn't exist as a concept. The actual author of a
> work cannot be denied "Urheberrecht" (the right to decide what
> happens with his work). "Verwertungsrecht" (the right to make money
> with it) is separate, it may be with someone else. But maybe Mr.
Koch
> has both, who knows.
>
> > Does anyone know if the maps are on public display in
> > any library or archive? If so, copies should be
> > possible to obtain at a more modest fee, and certainly
> > scans at an even more welcomming price.
>
> I'd like to know too. The research would take some time though ...
>
> Regards
I agree with you, still it is strange that mister Koch tries to make
such a profit out of it. I wonder is he sold any for that amount of
money. I understood that there a many alternatives but searching
libraries, i already tried some Dutch University libraries but
nothing special came up. The info provided by you on the
bordercorrections aswell as the info provided by Pepijn Hendriks was
usefull thanks. If you could make a scan from the Lohmühlenarea it
would be very interesting. I did not know that there was a
bordercorrection though now i know there were many. The idea of
putting money together seems tempting but still i think it is wrong
to pay about 6,000 Euro's for 90 scanned maps. I don't think the
former DDR-borderguards should be punished for their loyalty for the
regime but awarding them with such amount of money is craziness. A
fair price will do, that's the concept of marketeconomy mister Koch
had 13 years to learn. Maybe another 13 will do.
Sorry for getting off-topic, this was something i just had to mention.
Stefan