I am trying to prove that a book copyrighted in 1953 by E.P.

Hello. Somehow your question was categorized under criminal law. So it's a little complicated. If he did not renew his copyright for a 2nd 28 years, it would now be public domain. However, if he did renew, it would have copyright protections for 95 years. This is because the copyright term for works published between 1950 and 1963 was extended to 95 years from the date of publication, so long as the works were published with a copyright notice and the term renewed (which is generally the case with famous works such as this). All of these works from 1953 will enter the public domain in 2049. If you are able to verify that he did not renew the copyright, you're free to use the work now.

I hope this helps. As an aside, we are unable to represent you or issue a legal opinion for you. JustAnswer is a legal educational site, and while we are all attorney experts, we do not represent you, but provide information on legal issues.

Morgan-ESQ

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