[CS-FSLUG] KJV Bible - Crown Copyright in UK [was: Bug#338077: ITP: sword-text-kvj -- King James Version with Strongs Numbers and Morphology] [debacle at debian.org]

[Eduardo Sanchez]

The bug refers to the "original" circa 1620 King James Version, which is 
Property of the Crown. This is like a copyright, but it does not 
expire. Therefore, in the UK the KJV (*NOT* the NKJV) should be treated 
as copyrighted.

However, for any work one thing is to be copyrighted, and non-free is 
another. What the Debian developers should try to ascertain is the 
license terms set forth by the British Crown on the KJV text. I think 
these terms are pretty much lax and liberal, so I would not call the 
KJV text as non-free in Britain.

Blessings,

Eduardo

On Wed 09 Nov 2005 07:58, 'mash wrote:
> Morning
>
> I got this in my inbox this morning.
> I am trying to find out what it is relating to. These forwards seldom
> come with the original post. I am going to try and trace the Bug
> report.
>
> I will let you know.
>
> 'Mash
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>-------- From: "W. Borgert" <debacle at debian.org>
> Subject: Re: KJV Bible - Crown Copyright in UK [was: Bug#338077: ITP:
> sword-text-kvj -- King James Version with Strongs Numbers and
> Morphology]
> To: debian-legal at lists.debian.org, lionel at mamane.lu,
>         roberto at familiasanchez.net
> Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2005 18:03:45 +0000
>
> On Tue, Nov 08, 2005 at 06:16:52PM +0100, Lionel Elie Mamane wrote:
> > This makes the KJV of the bible non-free in GB and probably even
> > illegal to distribute at all in GB, unless the Crown gives a
> > blanket license for electronic distribution. Does it?
>
> ...
>
> > Please investigate this before uploading to Debian.
>
> According to Christian belief, the bible is the "word of God".
> According to Nietzsche (in 1882), "God is dead".  So the author
> of the bible is dead since at least 120 years.  How can the
> copyright still hold?
>
> Cheers, WB
>
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