Re: CLUEBAT: copyrights, infringement, violations, and legality

[Bob Hilliard <hilliard@debian.org>]

 On Tue, Jan 28, 2003 at 11:16:24PM -0500, Branden Robinson wrote:

>                                                       Now, then, do
> you think Euclid held a copyright in the _Elements_?  Did the apostles
> of Jesus hold a copyright in the gospels?  If so, when did these
> copyrights expire, or have they?

     Neither the Ancient Greeks or Romans had copyright provisions in
their laws.  Anyone was free to copy a work and sell the copies.  In
both Athens and Rome there were thriving industries based on batteries
of slaves copying works for sale.  The authors seemed to appreciate
the exposure thus given to their ideas.  

     Euclid lived and worked in a Greek culture, under Greek laws.
The apostles lived and wrote in predominantly Greek cultures, under
Roman Laws.

Regards,

Bob
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