Legal Question in Intellectual Property in North Carolina

Derivative Copyright of Biblical Translations

Is there a derivative copyright law governing translations of the bible? If so, does it state that a new work must go beyond word and sentence reconstruction by at least 10%?


Asked on 8/05/99, 10:44 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Bruce Burdick Burdick Law Firm

Re: Derivative Copyright of Biblical Translations

Never heard of such a law. Doubt it exists. Perhaps you are wondering what consitutes a sufficiently different translation, when registered as a derivative work,to be enforceable in court against those making unauthorized copies.

Copyright infringement cases are decided on a case-by-case basis. The copyright office is not likely to refuse registration on any such 10% rule. However, if a court sees more than 90% of the material copied as being the original from which your work is derived, there is a good argument that what is copied is the original.

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Answered on 8/10/99, 7:54 pm


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