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Re: [Phys-L] E-mail is copyrighted?



According to the information that I have found the US no longer requires you
to explicitly copyright materials, and you have an automatic implied
copyright. The older rules still apply to the works created before the new
copyright revisions. And all works before a certain date are out of
copyright. So when an old movie neglected to put a copyright notice it was
automatically in public domain when first shown. There are many books and
movies which lost copyright when they forgot to put the notice on them.

From my readings all countries have different rules as to the length of
copyright and the materials to which it applies. In many European countries
the audio recording copyright is only 50 years, and in Russia the movie
copyright is also only 50 years. So a number of classic Russian movies can
now be freely circulated, and I even "restored" an old classic Russian movie
and put it on a web site. And copyright is a moving target! For example
audio recordings in the US prior to the date '73 as I recall were only
protected by state laws which has made them a big target for pirates who
know it is difficult to figure out what laws apply.

As a result it is often difficult to figure out the actual copyright and
sometimes the author can not be determined or located. The heirs are also
often difficult to trace. There are also funny rules such as playing music
in public spaces with an explicit exemption for "home like" use in
restaurants... I had to do some reading because some people were worried
about copyright for folk dance groups. Most of those people had extremely
rigid conceptions and ignored the fact that if you buy a "pirated" recording
that you can still be required to stop using it. When you buy a stolen work
in good faith you may be liable to return it without being compensated
unless you can get money from the seller. In truth nobody worries about the
small potatoes groups like folk dancers. They go after churches, clubs,
radio stations, and restaurants.

For those who were quick it was possible to buy some works with a full right
to copy license. Real Time Physics was once distributed that way.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


Yes, I would think so, in the same sense that (technically) you own
copyright in a letter that you write - the composition is your
intellectual property. My understanding is that one
automatically owns
copyright in one's writing unless one assigns it elsewhere,
but that if
you wish to protect copyright it is sensible to use the
copyright symbol
(c) and add your name and date. I don't think this enhances the
copyright itself, but makes it difficult for someone else to
claim the
could not identify the copyright holder as a defence. (I am not a
lawyer, this is my understanding, and it may only apply in the UK?)

(Presumably somewhere in all the legal jargon when singing up
for a ISP,
you assign them rights to redistribute your email
compositions? Any one
know?)

Publishers often used to ask you to 'assign' copyright in published
work, but nowadays they commonly ask instead for you to offer them an
exclusive licence for certain purposes (so you retain
copyright in your
work). I'm not sure the precise reasons why?

Bernard: I think the thing to bear in mind is that copyright
is a right
automatically assigned to the composer of a text or similar
production.
A teacher - or researcher - cannot (i.e. certainly should
not) publish
students' work (for whatever reasons) without the their (and their
parents', as minors) permission as the work is copyright
simply by being
the creative production of a human being - not because they
are a famous
author or similar. Copyright is not just about work intended for
publication, but is a right associated a person's productions
- whoever
they are, and for whatever purpose they produce it. So, if you wrote
embarrassing love letters many years ago, be reassured they
are covered
by copyright! So are copies of any drafts of papers you
latter changed
before submitting to publication. I suspect is may also apply to your
shopping lists, if inscribed.

At least, that's how I've always understood it - correction
from legal
expertise welcome.

Keith



On 22/07/2012 08:18, Bernard Cleyet wrote:
So a friend claims. Really?


bc thinks Jack U. will know
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