[sword-devel] Copyrights and derivative works

Jerry Hastings sword-devel@crosswire.org
Sun, 19 Jan 2003 09:20:00 -0700


At 04:20 PM 1/19/2003 +0200, Daniel Freedman wrote:
>Of course its copyright
>
>Why?
>
>Because the NIV is a translation of the Hebrew and Greek

That is relevant. Because translation is a creative act of expression. Ask 
ten people to translate something and get ten new expressions from the 
original.

>It involves hours of dedication and research
>Then people write a translation

That is irrelevant. Hours, dedication and research, are not expressions and 
are not protected by copyright. If the NIV had been produced by the 
paraphrasing of an ignorant idiot trying to recite the KJV by memory into a 
tape recorder, it would be just as protected.

Jerry