Legal Question in Business Law in Texas

copyright

Am a producer of scientific videos, i been using books to write the text, i been using only the facts, never the same selection and arrangment of words, if i omit naming the authors of those books am i breaking any laws?

Next i like to quote justice O`Connor from the supreme court comments after a landmark desicion on copyrights.

It was the Feiast publication Inc. against rural telephone

service in 1991.

''The most fundamental axiom of copyright law is that no author may copyright his ideas or the facts he narrates,

At the same time, however is beyond dispute that compilations of facts are within the subject matter of copyright''

''The key to resolving the tension lies in understanding why facts are not copyrightable. The sine qua non of copy

right is originality. To qualify for copyright protection

a work must be original to the author''

''Census data do not trigger copyright because these data are not original in the constitutional sense''

''The same is true of all facts-scientific, historical,biographical and news of the day. They may not

be copyrghted and are part of the public domain available to every person''

''so long as the compiting work does not feature the same selection and arran.


Asked on 8/17/04, 9:23 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys
Peter Bradie Bradie, Bradie & Bradie

Re: copyright

If the 'fact' is published in a paper, you should properly give credit to the source; i.e. Krick has discovered the double helix structure of DNA. But the fact itself is not copyrightable, nor is a public document such as a Supreme Court opinion.

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Answered on 8/18/04, 12:52 pm
Charles White Charles G. White

Re: copyright

I am sorry, but is there a question hidden in there. You mentioned Justice O'Conner's opinion. Her opinon is a government issued opinion. It is in the public domain, and is not copyrighted. Use it as you like. If you a significant portion, it would be improper (but not necessarily illegal) not to quote the source.

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Answered on 8/17/04, 11:30 pm


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