Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
How large is the field that copyright covers about the use of something?
I am a total noob when it comes to laws and stuff. I have a crazy question about the ridiculous copyright. Laugh all you want, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if copyright actually went this far (or maybe it has, that's the question).
Ok, when someone says, "You cannot use this without my permission", what does the word "use" and "this" mean here and how large is the field they cover? Take this imaginary scenario into consideration:
An artist draws a picture of a bird and puts copyright on it. I download the image from the internet and like the bird. Then I go and catch such a bird for myself and keep it as a pet (considering catching that bird is legal by itself). Now the artist can claim that I used his drawing and fine me. But can he also (theoretically) claim that the bird belongs to him as well because I would have never known of the bird if it were not for his painting? Or is it that the bird is in the public domain and he cannot claim something from the public domain?
So what I am basically trying to say is, say there are some things that are in the public domain naturally. Can anyone legally put copyright onto one of those things just because he found it first?
Cheers.
Oh I forgot, in the imaginary scenario, what if the bird does not exist? Can he (again, theoretically) claim that I cannot even imagine the bird? Imagination is a public domain as far as I can think of.
Richard, I was wondering, say you create a superhero called SuperMouse. And you ask me if I have ever copied your superhero. And I, being a completely honest person, say that yes I copied the idea in my head and I sometimes daydream that I am flying with SuperMouse but I call him SuperJerry. Can you sue me for that? Do you have any right on my imagination?
3 Answers
- rickinnocalLv 77 years agoFavorite Answer
Your understanding of copyright is completely wrong.
What copyright means can be found in the word itself. It gives the maker of a "creative work" - a picture, a piece of music, a book or story etc. - the *right* to control who can make a *copy* of his work.
If someone draws a picture of a bird, you cannot make a copy of that picture without his permission. That doesn't stop you also drawing a picture of the same bird. Now, if the bird doesn't exist, then the imaginary bird itself is the 'creative work', so drawing it yourself is a breach of copyright.
Example... I take a photo of a mouse I find in my fridge, and put it on my Facebook page. You can not legally copy my photo and put it on your page - but you can take a photo of a mouse you found in your fridge, and post that. If, however, I invent a fictional mouse superhero, and post a picture of him on my page, you can't draw a picture of my character, because I created him. I didn't create the fridge mouse though - I only created the PHOTO of him.
Richard
- ?Lv 77 years ago
You are taking this entirely too far. copyright applies to created works, meaning you have to actually create a thing for it to apply. Your imagination (which is way overworked apparently) is still yours, and there can be no violation of copyright until you make what you imagine in a physical form. Only after you draw yourself flying with Supermouse or Superjerry that looks like Supermouse, or write a story with that character, could copyright even begin to apply.