Copyrights and the Bible

Ironhold

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This was brought up in another thread, but I've seen it come up enough that I'm going to go ahead and post something here.

The question asked was "How can there be a copyright on the Bible?".

An actual lawyer will be able to give a more detailed explanation, but I went over enough in the way of copyright law during my MBA to answer this.

In the United States, if a work is beyond a certain age (the age varies based on the type of work), then it is considered to be in the "public domain" and as such can no longer be copyrighted in and of itself. The various centuries-old manuscripts are thus public domain, as is the KJV and translations of similar vintage.

However, if a work in the public domain receives an "innovation", then the person who produces the innovation can seek a new copyright on the basis of this innovation. For example, the RSV, NIV, and other such translations represent "innovations" on the various manuscripts in that they represent new(er) translations. Likewise, if a person was to include maps and images of the Middle East in the back of a KJV then they could seek a copyright on the basis of those maps and images.

Either way, the Bible - like other holy books - can in fact be copyrighted under US law if certain conditions are met.

People who reside in other countries should look at what the copyright law for their country stipulates about the matter.
 

Ironhold

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Yes, you can use the people and stories in the Bible or publish your own Bible if you want but each translation has its own copyright.

Hence my post: the translations represent "innovations" that can be copyrighted, but the original material is too old.
 
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moleowner

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IRONHOLD said:
However, if a work in the public domain receives an "innovation", then the person who produces the innovation can seek a new copyright on the basis of this innovation.
Yeah fair enough but I would have thought the person who produced the "innovation" was God, J.S. was merely the secretary who wrote down the innovation. This issue was brought up in a discussion of Joseph Smith's translation.
 
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kiwimac

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The Bible is public domain. The authors died much longer than 75 years ago.
Actually no. The KJV, for example, may be free of copyright in the USA but it does carry a copyright in the UK and the British Commonwealth.
 
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Arcangl86

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I'm guessing the King James decedents have a perpetual copyright?
My understanding is that the KJV, because it was authorized by the king, may only be printed with the permission of the Crown. Currently only the Oxbridge presses have that permission.
 
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Arcangl86

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Here in the US anyone and everyone who wants to can print a KJV.

You can even get bare-bones editions (text only, no images or other adornments, average print and material quality) for $1 each at the Dollar Tree chain of stores.
Or you can just find a Gideon and get it for free. ^_^
 
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cloudyday2

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American copyright law is much simpler than patent law.

In my limited experience, there are way too many patents granted. They become job security for lawyers.

Of course inventors need an incentive to invent. I don't know.
 
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RDKirk

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This was brought up in another thread, but I've seen it come up enough that I'm going to go ahead and post something here.

The question asked was "How can there be a copyright on the Bible?".

An actual lawyer will be able to give a more detailed explanation, but I went over enough in the way of copyright law during my MBA to answer this.

In the United States, if a work is beyond a certain age (the age varies based on the type of work), then it is considered to be in the "public domain" and as such can no longer be copyrighted in and of itself. The various centuries-old manuscripts are thus public domain, as is the KJV and translations of similar vintage.

However, if a work in the public domain receives an "innovation", then the person who produces the innovation can seek a new copyright on the basis of this innovation. For example, the RSV, NIV, and other such translations represent "innovations" on the various manuscripts in that they represent new(er) translations. Likewise, if a person was to include maps and images of the Middle East in the back of a KJV then they could seek a copyright on the basis of those maps and images.

Either way, the Bible - like other holy books - can in fact be copyrighted under US law if certain conditions are met.

People who reside in other countries should look at what the copyright law for their country stipulates about the matter.

That's not different from a movie or theater production company doing a new production of "Romeo and Juliet." Their particular production is copyrighted even if it's Shakespeare's dialog word-for-word.
 
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LoAmmi

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In my limited experience, there are way too many patents granted. They become job security for lawyers.

Of course inventors need an incentive to invent. I don't know.

Software patents are the thing I hate the most.
 
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Ironhold

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If you think that's bad, try "untangling the legality of fan-fiction according to the American legal system."

Japan doesn't care, really.

But I've seen academic-level papers trying to figure out where the American system stands, with the general conclusion all too often being "we don't know."

edit -

Thankfully, in practice, it's on the IP holders to actually get involved. Some companies take the Disney route and sue everyone in sight, while others take the FASA / Fantasy Productions / Catalyst Game Labs route and revel in it as a sign of the fans being engaged. Most, however, appear to go the Hasbro route and ignore it (both fan work and unsolicited submissions).
 
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