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Is the "First They Came" poem Public domain?
The famous holocaust poem, "First they came..." by Martin Niemöller. I want to know if it's public domain or if someone owns the rights to it. Can anyone help please?
2 Answers
- David BowmanLv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
It looks as though there are so many versions of the "poem" that you would have to have a specific version. Niemöller has been dead for 29 years, but before he died, it was apparent that even he was unsure of the exact wording, since the "poem" was actually a compilation of things he had said in a number of speeches over a 10 year period. If he had a version or versions copyrighted, whether those copyrights are still in force would depend upon the country in which the copyright was submitted. Some countries permit copyrights to remain in force for up to 80 years after the death of the author, others for much less. While the author is alive, copyrights don't even necessarily last until the author's death. It's complicated and confusing. Anything involved with governments, laws, and authorship often is.