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johne1618
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Am I infringing copyright if I exactly reproduce the calculations in a paper on physics forums?
UltrafastPED said:The American Mathematical Society copyrights papers which appear in their journals; I would say that the presentation of a calculation can be copyrighted, but not the calculation itself.
Mk said:Imagine if Newton or Leibnitz had copyrighted their work in calculus. Then, as a student, you would have to pay them in order to learn it, in order to use it in your projects, and if you wanted to sell a machine or program that used it.
AlephZero said:Who cares about that? The last time USA changed its copyright laws, it was to protect Disney's rights to Mickey Mouse, not geeks who want to learn physics
Seriously though, as others said, you can't copyright an idea. You can only copyright some form of "document" (on paper, or electronic), and it your legal rights are the same whether it's a (non-crackpot, peer reviewed) proof that Einstein was wrong, or your kid's first attempt at finger painting.
So you can re-use "ideas" taken from books or scientific papers any way you like, but you can't just photocopy pages from the original book and re-published them as "your work".
As rollingstein said, your legal rights don't mean much unless you afford to pay some expensive lawyers to defend them. But most commercial (and academic) publishers have some lawyers on their payroll already, so trying your luck against them may not be a good game plan.
The issue is PF's liability when something copyrighted is posted here. It is a serious issue and we do our best to have all posts comply with appropriate rules and laws.dipole said:If if such a ridiculous copyright did exist (being able to copyright a proof or a mathematical calculation) would you seriously not use it or reproduce it?
"Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once."
SteamKing said:Copyright used to be governed by national laws of various types. Now, an international copyright law, governed by the Berne Convention of 1989, is the model. And yes, the US has adopted this convention and modified its copyright laws to bring them into harmony with the convention.
AlephZero said:As rollingstein said, your legal rights don't mean much unless you afford to pay some expensive lawyers to defend them. But most commercial (and academic) publishers have some lawyers on their payroll already, so trying your luck against them may not be a good game plan.
SW VandeCarr said:Given the "wiggle room" I hereby claim the calculations 1+2+3=6 and 1*2*3=6. Anyone who uses these calculations must pay me $6. That's USD, not Canadian.
Yes, calculations can be considered original works of authorship and are therefore eligible for copyright protection. This is because the precise sequence and arrangement of the calculations can be considered a creative expression of the author's ideas.
Yes, a specific formula or equation can be copyrighted as long as it meets the requirements for originality and creativity. This means that it must be a unique expression and not a commonly used or known concept.
No, copyright protection is automatically granted to original works of authorship, including calculations, as soon as they are created. However, registering your calculations with the Copyright Office can provide additional legal benefits, such as the ability to sue for infringement and claim statutory damages.
No, the author of a copyrighted work holds the exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works based on the original work. This means that others cannot use your calculations without your permission, unless their use falls under the fair use exception.
In most cases, copyright protection for calculations lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years after their death. However, if the calculations were created as part of employment, the copyright may last for 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever is shorter.