2.07.2005

Biblical Copyright Holders

A question posted on "ask Yahoo" asks, "Is the Bible copyrighted?" There is just too much material in that one question!

It does beg this most obvious question. If I say something and someone else writes it down, do they now own my words? Better yet, if I say something and include in my statement that I want everyone to have free access to everything I've said, can someone else still wrestle control of my words away from me by being the first to print?

I would agree that being able to charge for the labor of printing, binding and distribution is a reasonable expectation. But to say that the words within the Bible can legally belong to someone other than the original author seems silly. I think transfer of ownership requires permission.

Some things never change. Mankinds propensity for wanting to say, "MINE!" is ageless and enduring.

No comments: