Re: copyright/ plastic surgeon

Let's consider the archetype of this problem.

Ovid tells us that Pygmalion created a statue of a woman so beautiful that he prayed to Athena to bring it to life, which she did. [cf. "My Fair Lady"]

Applying the issue being discussed in the Plastic Surgeon thread to the above, we'd accept that Pygmalion holds the copyright to his sculpture (the model for the final product). Does he accordingly hold the copyright to his creation-come-alive? Or is the live version a derivative work owned by Athena?

Although our creation myths are patterned after the process of artistic creation, I don't remember copyright playing much of a role in them. Is there a statement somewhere in the accepted or apocryphal writings of anyone's creation story that states that "God made Man in His image, in which he claims copyright for 50 years after His death?" <g>

Robert A. Baron
rabaron[_at_]pipeline.com Received on Thu May 29 1997 - 12:54:52 GMT