[Asterisk-Users] Re: [Asterisk-Dev] Free G.729 ready for download

[Peter Svensson]

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004, Andrew Kohlsmith wrote:

> IANAL, but those chapters would be yours.  Adding them to Gone With the Wind 
> and distributing the resultant "new" book would be considered distributing a 
> derived work and fall into the gray area.
> 
> It's the same as fanfic; the characters and whatnot are owned by the original 
> writer(s) but your actual work is yours.

Most fanfics are probably owned by the original author/distribution 
company. However, they are not stupid enough to try to enforce their 
rights since there would probably be a public backlash. The fanfics 
probably generates increased revenue for them as well. Think cheap 
advertising.

See http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html, point 6.

Creating a derived work is the a right only available to the copyright 
owner and any licensees of that right. Derived work is a very broad term.

The ownership of derived works I have a harder time to find references to. 

The closest thing is that apparently there is no copyrights available to 
the author of a derived work which is unlawfully made from a copyrighted 
original work.

And now I will shut up lest someone takes my word for anything instead of 
seeking legal counsel.

Peter