Re: Copyright in Fireworks

From: Bruce Hayden <bhayden[_at_]ieee.org>
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 07:15:03 -0700

Greg Ikonen <gikonen[_at_]venlaw.com> wrote:
>
> One small correction: football games and other sports events per se
> are NOT copyrightable. See the Second Circuit's decision in NBA v.
> Motorola. Does that change your view at all? (I assume not, since,
> as I have learned from this thread, fireworks displays are
> "choreographed" much like dance and other planned performances --
> and unlike sports events.)

I think that you go too far with the Motorola case. My view is that the copyright of the games remains intact, bur rather, the facts of the game, such as when which team scored which points, is not covered. Thus, you can't tape and rebroadcast the game without the permission of the copyright holder, but you can broadcast when each of the teams scores, who did the scoring, etc.

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The preceding was not a legal opinion, and is not my employer's.
Original portions Copyright 1998 Bruce E. Hayden,all rights reserved
My work may be copied in whole or part, with proper attribution,
as long as the copying is not for commercial gain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce E. Hayden                      bhayden[_at_]acm.org
Phoenix, Arizona                     bhayden[_at_]ieee.org
===now operational again============>bhayden[_at_]copatlaw.com
Received on Wed Oct 14 1998 - 14:14:42 GMT

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0 : Mon Mar 26 2007 - 00:35:32 GMT