Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0004619, Mon, 6 Dec 1999 13:15:46 -0800

Subject
Nabokov archives (fwd)
Date
Body
*** For partial answers, see below. GD***

From: justice <justice@ucla.edu>

Hello all,

I am working on a term paper for a class on archives, focusing on the
controversy in the mid-1990s surrounding a threat by its owners (a family
trust) to sell half the archives of Sir Winston Churchill. Part of the
controversy had to do with limitations imposed on scholars. By way of
comparison, I was wondering:

a) if there are any access limits on the Nabokov archives
b) if royalties are charged on quotations of previously unpublished
material
c) who owns the papers themselves, and who owns the intellectual property

Many thanks

Alexander Justice * justice@ucla.edu * Hollywood, California, USA

Graduate Student * Information Studies * UCLA


a) Yes. Dmitri Nabokov at times places limits as to who can see the
archives at the Berg Collection (he just did so again recently), and the
archives at the Library of Congress are, as far as I understand, under
even stricter restrictions.

b) That's often negotiable but the automatic response seems to be that
royalties *will be* charged, and the matter is usually referred to Nikki
Smith, DN's literary agent.

c) Nabokov Estate -- ultimately, at this point, Dmitri Nabokov -- owns
both, I believe.