Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament

David Paul · June 2014

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/598829#Comment_598829

Caleb S. said:

So, I asked someone at Logos if anyone at Logos had talked to Eerdmans about getting the TDOT. This is what I was told:

I do hope that someday it will come to Logos, but it looks like I will have no choice but to buy each of the books until they become available electronically (or find a nearby library that has them, or interlibrary loan).

Actually, there is another choice...don't reward bad behavior by buying a product from intransigent hardheads. Just pretend it doesn't exist and go on about your business. Or better yet, produce a competing product that is designed from the ground up for digital use and shrivel interest in TDOT to the size of a pea.

fgh · June 2014

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/598829#Comment_598829

First, thanks for getting us an update.

Logos said:
At last count, there were at least 15 individual Germans who own the digital rights, and they have been extremely elusive or generally unwilling to discuss the options.

Presumably, those are authors/editors, or their heirs. In that case a small correction is most likely needed. One of the main editors is Helmer Ringgren, and he's Swedish, not German. It seems he died two years ago (I'd missed that), at the ripe old age of 94, so it may have been a while since he was up to copyright discussions. I had his [much younger] wife in Hebrew once upon a time (he was already retired). It seems they divorced shortly after, so I doubt she's inherited any rights, but she worked on the TDOT, so she probably knows/knew the [original] copyright holders and may be in a position to help. I doubt Helmer Ringgren is the only one who's dead or very old. That's probably a big part of the problem.

Lee · June 2014

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/598904#Comment_598904

fgh said:

I had his [much younger] wife in Hebrew once upon a time (he was already retired).

[:O] You had his wife? Would it be possible for you, Eerdmans or a book agent to contact the surviving rights holders?

fgh · June 2014

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/598956#Comment_598956

I assume that's what Eerdmans and/or Logos has already tried to do. Presumably, Ringgren's rights have gone to his children. According to http://zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/sad-news-the-death-of-helmer-ringgren/ he had three daughters. I could certainly find their names and the details of his will, if Logos wants me to. That's public record.