[MR] One step too far! (Duane Moore)

[Garth G. Groff]

Friends,

Allow me to add my own experience to this. A number of years ago I 
self-published a small local history book and sent copies for review to 
several local newspapers. One refused a review, but used quotes from my 
book in a review promoting somebody else's book about the same area 
(different aspect though). My book was copyrighted and registered. I 
checked with a copyright lawyer, and he thought I had a case, but told 
me a copyright violation is a Federal matter. I could only sue for 
actual damages, which were minimal and unprovable. He also pointed out 
that the case would have to be heard in regular Federal court, as there 
is no Federal small claims court. Any judge who had to take time for 
such a trivial matter would not be pleased to have his time wasted when 
he had more important criminal cases on his docket. I think this shirt 
would probably fall into a similar category.

Kind regards,


Mungo Napier, Former Self-Published Author

Otto von Schwyz wrote:
> Greetings,
>
> First I want to say that I'm not a copyright lawyer but I deal with
> copyright issues weekly.  From what I can tell in the photos on the webpage
> just having "Windmasters' Hill" clearly visible is not a copyright violation
> nor would it be a trademark violation.  
>
>
> Under the current U.S. Copyright Act, copyright protection exists in
> "original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression."
> For a work to be protected by copyright law, it must be "original." However,
> the amount of originality required is extremely small. The work cannot be a
> mere mechanical reproduction of a previous work, nor can the work consists
> of only a few words or a short phrase.
>
> A copyright issue might happen should someone was able to present a scroll
> that looks exactly or very closely like what the shirt has screen printed
> not just the name of a Barony.
>
>
> Yours in Service,
> Herr Otto von Schwyz
> Society Chronicler
>
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: atlantia-bounces at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
> [mailto:atlantia-bounces at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of
> atlantia-request at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
> Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 11:16 AM
> To: atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
> Subject: Atlantia Digest, Vol 78, Issue 65
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:31:23 -0400
> From: Vels inn Viggladi <velsthe1 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [MR] Fwd: [SCA_S&I] As seen on LJ: T shirt designed from
> 	a scroll
> To: <atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org>
> Message-ID: <BAY118-W13B2EF6D900F563139C1898B190 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
>
> Kingdom, not likely. 
>
> The original scribe? Oh hell yeah.
>
> Is there a Copyright lawyer in the tavern?
>
>
>
> Vels
> not the artist.
>
>   
>> Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:01:52 -0400
>> From: arwynn16 at gmail.com
>> To: Atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
>> Subject: [MR] Fwd: [SCA_S&I] As seen on LJ: T shirt designed from a scroll
>>
>> Too funny!! Can the Kingdom sue? I think it could take care of the
>> travel fund for a few reigns! Tehehe
>>
>> ~Rohesia
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: Brunissende de Broc?liande <mathilde.poussin at gmail.com>
>> Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:47:44 -0000
>> Subject: [SCA_S&I] As seen on LJ: T shirt designed from a scroll
>> To: SCA_Scribes_and_Illumination at yahoogroups.com
>>
>> Somebody sent me the link and I thought mot scribe would be interested
>> http://community.livejournal.com/sca/730046.html
>>     
>
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