Re: Aphorisms and Copyright

On Fri, 21 Aug 1998, Bob Stock <bstock[_at_]ucla.edu> wrote:
>
> Length of text is a criterion for copyright protection in the US.
>
> "The following are examples of works not subject to copyright and
> applications for registration of such works cannot be entertained:
>
> (a) Words and short phrases such as names, titles, and slogans;"
>
> 37 CFR 202.1(a).

To be clear, though, although the Copyright Office regulation is worded so that it looks like the Office is making a statement about what qualifies for copyright subject matter, in fact, the Office has no jurisdiction to issue regulations that delineate the scope of copyright subject matter. 202.1 regulates what is registerable, not what is copyrightable.

--
Terry Carroll       |    
Santa Clara, CA     |    
carroll[_at_]tjc.com     |       
Modell delendus est |