[Boatanchors] 73 Magazine pdf files

[Francesco Ledda]

Thank you for your insight!

FL

-----Original Message-----
From: boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of J. Forster
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 7:45 PM
To: Glen Zook
Cc: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net; Francesco Ledda
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] 73 Magazine pdf files

> Virtually all of the publications of the United States Government are in
> the public domain.  You can copyright the presentation of things which are
> in the public domain but cannot copyright the text.  That is you could
> retype the material and could copyright the actual format.  As such,
> someone could not just make a photocopy, etc., and reproduce the material.
>  They could, however, retype the material and obtain a copyright on that
> format.
>
> Some people write an introduction to the material and that introduction is
> copyrighted although the actual text of the document is in the public
> domain.  As for the PDF:  Someone else could scan the original document
> and then create a PDF and then copyright that particular version.
> However, it would be a copyright violation just to send out the original
> PDF file.  Since PDF is an "open" mode you cannot copyright the fact that
> the document is presented in PDF format.  But, you can copyright the
> actual scanning of the document even though someone else can do exactly
> the same thing.

You can, but such a copyright is invalid. A scanned, or scanned and
"cleaned up" version of something in the public domain, is NOT
copyrightable. I asked exactly this question directly from a college
classmate who just retired as the head of the legal department in a very
major US electronics company. He now teaches IP law, BTW.

If you add material, that is copyrightable, but not the scans.

-John


>
> You can make a CD-ROM or DVD and copyright the media.  However, if the
> text were in the public domain that information cannot be copyrighted!  As
> such, you couldn't legally copy the CD-ROM or DVD but you could create
> your own CD-ROM of DVD of the material!
>
> Clear as mud!
>
> Glen, K9STH
> Website:  http://k9sth.com
>
>
> --- On Sat, 5/15/10, Francesco Ledda <frledda at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> I have seen pdf copies of old Air Force flight manual sold with a
> copyright statement covering the electronic copy from the seller. 
>
> I understand that the seller took the time to scan the originals and
> assemble the final pdf document. Does this give him/her the right to claim
> copyrights on the document?  Just wondering.....
>
>
>
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