The January 13, 2010 Library Link of the Day featured this interesting story from the Center for the Study of the Public Domain:
Excerpt: “…What might you be able to read or print online, quote as much as you want, or translate, republish or make a play or a movie from? How about Casino Royale, Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel? Fleming published Casino Royale in 1953. If we were still under the copyright laws that were in effect until 1978, ….
….
Agatha Christie’s, A Pocket Full of Rye
Saul Bellow’s, The Adventures of Augie March
Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451
John Hunt’s, The Ascent of Everest
C.S. Lewis’s, The Silver Chair (the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia)
J.D. Salinger’s, Nine Stories
Leon Uris’s, Battle Cry
James Baldwin’s, Go Tell It On the Mountain
Ira Levin’s, A Kiss Before Dying ….” (link to full story and website)