Re: copyright and natural law?

From: Dan L Burk <BURKDANL[_at_]shu.edu>
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 12:45:11 -0400

On 09/14/98, Albert Henderson <noblestation[_at_]compuserve.com> wrote:
>
> Many works today are the product of teams -- movies, for instance
> -- where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The
> author is the filmmaker that organized, financed, etc. Employees
> are not free to create whatever they choose.

Like many of Mr. Henderson's assertions, the statements in this paragraph are extremely difficult to follow, but however you read them, they appear to be wrong as a matter of law. Works are made for hire if they meet the statutory agency requirements. Other products of "teams" may be joint works, compilations, or even derivative works. The "author" is whoever the statute says is the author.

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Dan L. Burk
Seton Hall University
burkdanl[_at_]shu.edu

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Received on Tue Sep 15 1998 - 16:37:03 GMT