Podcastplayer.org news

Here’s someone doing something that I’ve thought about a lot, but never quite got around to. Reading childrens books as a podcast.

I read to my children a lot, and I enjoy it a lot, too. What has worried me about this idea, though, is the complications of copyright. If I were to read one of the hundreds of books that my kids love to hear, I’d probably be performing someone else’s copyright work. I don’t know enough about copyright law to know how this stuff applies.

Are specific retellings of classic tales covered by copyright? When and how does this sort of copyright expire? Are there some older books that it’s OK to read without repercusssions? Who owns the rights? Is there a way of contacting authors and/or publishers to get clearance? Does any of this really matter?

Read more, and listen to the podcasts at Reading to Rowan 4: The Three Little Bears

As an aside, I’d love to podcast some of the several versions we have of this well-known tale, I find the subtle differences intriguing.