When a copyright expires or is not renewed, the work belongs in the public domain. That means that no royalties are paid and the author no longer has exclusive rights to the work. Anyone may make complete copies of a work in the public domain. You may not copy works under copyright. Copyright was designed to protect not only the author of a work but also the publisher. It seems to me that with the number of people wanting copies of "History of Louisa County", it makes sense to have it reprinted. I want a copy in my hands. While the internet is convenient for some sorts of research, reading a complete book online is not my idea of fun. Wayne has done a wonderful service with his indices for the Louisa Co. Historical Magazine. Perhaps an index to the book is all that is needed. Jan Stark