[sword-devel] Copyrights and derivative works

David Burry sword-devel@crosswire.org
Fri, 17 Jan 2003 23:49:34 -0800


An index/concordance is not a "derivative work" because it's completely
automated to create it, in the words of the URL below "purely mechanical
task with no element of editorial selection" therefore not copyrightable as
a separate derivative work... however... because it's purely mechanical and
not a derivative work it may still fall under the original copyright
protection of the original work... so.... the answer still may be "no you
can't do that without permission" but for a different reason than the
original questioner was asking.

Dave


----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick Narkinsky" <patrick@wingedpigs.com>
To: <sword-devel@crosswire.org>
Sent: Friday, January 17, 2003 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: [sword-devel] Copyrights and derivative works


> Thus spake "Jerry Hastings"> :
>
> > At 08:56 PM 1/17/2003 -0800, Joel Mawhorter wrote:
> >> ...could I create a NIV concordence without the permission of the IBS?
> >
> > No. See: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ14.html#who .
>
> Actually, this would probably be okay. (I think, IANAL) In general,
> databases of factual information are not copyrightable. In this case, he
is
> not reproducing the text, he is simply describing it. That is, he is
saying
> "the NIV uses word X in passage Y" - not reproducing the text. It is well
> within fair use for me to consult someone else's work in the preparation
of
> my own - I just can't duplicate their work in my own.
>
> On the other hand, if he wanted to take the NIV text and adapt it to
produce
> something like the New International Readers Version, that would violate
the
> copyright.
>
> Patrick
>
> --
> Patrick Narkinsky - Apprentice Pastor, Hope Community Church
>
> "I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it."
>
> - Thomas a Kempis
>
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