Re: Article on Protection of History

From: James Rogers <jetan[_at_]ionet.net>
Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1998 08:41:59 -0500 (CDT)

On 4/18/98, John Shaeffer <shaeffer[_at_]oslaw.com> wrote:
>
> I differ from you view in believing that how an author chooses to
> express the facts of history -- for example in the telling Cameron's
> "Titanic" or the scholarship of Joseph Ellis for his exposition on
> Thomas Jefferson in "American Sphinx" -- deserve protections under our
> Copyright laws beyond literal copying. (See Hoeling v. Universal
> Studios, )

You are talking about two different things here, aren't you? Cameron's expression in Titanic is entitled to a relatively wide protection. Ellis is entitled to a similar protection but to the extent that he asserts his work is literally, objectively true the underlying nuts and bolts are not protected. I perceive this as a good thing. By the standards you appear to be arguing for, quantum mechanics (the whole shebang) would be under copyright, wouldn't they? It is difficult for me to imagine that such a policy would promote anything at all.

                                    James

James Michael Rogers
jetan[_at_]ionet.net Received on Sat Apr 18 1998 - 13:41:18 GMT