No Copyright for translators?

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@xemacs.org>]

Helge Kreutzmann writes:

 > A while ago I stumbeled about a bug[1] where the maintainer was
 > requested to *remove* the translators, on the basis that they hold
 > no copyright but rather are "contributors".

I'm shocked.  Of course translators hold copyright in their
translations (unless they have signed a contract assigning their
rights to a third party -- are you sure that is not the case for the
bug report?)  A translation is without question an original expressive
work, and under applicable law and international treaty, the
translator holds copyright.