Protection of Unpublished Works after Death: An Analysis of Developments in Australia and the United States.

AUSTRALIA; UNITED States

The publication of someone's artistic works after their death could be subject to various laws such as copyright, privacy and even property law's. This article aims to discuss the possibility of publishing and displaying people's possessions after their death, particularly if those works have literary, dramatic, musical or artistic features and the person who owned or created them has not first published them. There are occasions when an author or artist becomes famous after their work is published post mortem by a third person who may or may not be the legal executor. Considering recent amendments to Australia's Copyright Law, it is essential to examine whether these address all issues concerning this subject. The United States has a well-developed law concerning unpublished works as well as a number of relevant cases and arguments, so this article will refer to approaches which have been taken by that country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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