Look at the copyright page of the book to find the original author’s name and the original publisher’s name and location. This should tell you whether the author or publisher holds the copyright. Contact the government department that handles intellectual property rights if the information is missing or illegible. You can request a search of copyright records to locate the copyright holder. The department may use a name like the copyright office. You can try the United States Copyright Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office or the German Copyright and Publishing Law Directorate.
If the copyright has expired, the book is in the public domain, and you will not need to do further research. If the book is in the public domain, you won’t need to buy the copyright. Public domain books are the property of the public at large, and you may use, modify or republish the work.
