How does copyright relate to audio versions of books?

[Cain]

I just had a genius idea.

[Cramulus]

What do you mean? As I understand it, both are separate copyrights, but you still need permission to record an audio version of an already copyrighted text.

I work in publishing, so I could probably find out a more specific answer if you have a more specific question.

[Cain]

Well, that pretty much answers it for me.  Audio version of Illuminatus! or something like that, was my line of thinking. 

[Cramulus]

That is a cool idea. If you didn't sell it, you could probably get away with it. That book would be like a million hours long though.

There would be some interesting challenges in recording an audio version. Like How would you handle all the parts in the book where the regular
HARI KRISHNA HARI KRISHNA HARI KRISHNA HARI HARI
flow of prose gets broken up by all sorts of nonsense happening elsewhere in the universe?
Or places where the point of view changes, like, mid paragraph?

You could just read the text straight as it's written, but there are probably some audio tricks (like changing narrators) that would make it cool to listen to and achieve the same effect.

[Cain]

So if it was given away for free, that would be legal?

Yeah, thats what interested me in trying it, in part.  The problems make it all the more interesting.  The KLF dudes created a stage version of it, so that might be worth looking at.

[Cramulus]

I don't think it would be legal, no, but I highly doubt it would create much trouble, especially since there are sites out there which are hosting PDFs of the entire friggin book, which is certainly not legal.

see: http://rawilsonfans.com/downloads/Illuminatus.pdf

I'll ask around to get a more definite answer tho

[Cain]

Yeah, I got my copy that way 

[Cramulus]

One time I had my computer's text-to-speech program read the whole Principia on repeat. I left for two hours and when I came back my computer was completely FUBAR. Hail Eris?

[P3nT4gR4m]

One time I had my computer's text-to-speech program read the whole Principia on repeat. I left for two hours and when I came back my computer was completely FUBAR. Hail Eris?

One question leaps immediately to my mind ... Why?

[Triple Zero]

i once had http://www.mymiserablelife.com/ [you all know that site, right? if not, go there, some of you will love it for sure] on text2speech, on repeat, with Selected Ambient Works vol 2 in the background ..

that night i was having several groups of people visit my place, for some kind of game, presentation or general weirdness i forgot.
anyhoo i successfully creeped everybody out 

[Cramulus]

One time I had my computer's text-to-speech program read the whole Principia on repeat. I left for two hours and when I came back my computer was completely FUBAR. Hail Eris?

One question leaps immediately to my mind ... Why?

Last year I lived with a bunch of Discordians called the OBNOXIOUS JERK CABAL (hence my user title). Asshole-ish things like that were like a sort of currency. It was a rather annoying year.

[The Littlest Ubermensch]

i once had http://www.mymiserablelife.com/ [you all know that site, right? if not, go there, some of you will love it for sure] on text2speech, on repeat, with Selected Ambient Works vol 2 in the background ..

that night i was having several groups of people visit my place, for some kind of game, presentation or general weirdness i forgot.
anyhoo i successfully creeped everybody out 

Wow. I can just imagine how bizarre some of those would be with White Blur (1 or 2) playing in the background. The only thing I can think of being creepier would be Delerium Cordia by Fantomas, or the very excellent and very free album A Strange Attractor by The Alternate Industry En Corporated @http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=497417&T=7281