Wikipedia:Copyrights/MikeGodwinSays
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This page in a nutshell: Mike Godwin is the Wikimedia Foundation lawyer. He was hired (in part) for his vast intellectual property experience. The following is a recap of some of his legal opinions. |
- Coin images do not fall under Bridgeman v. Corel and hence are copyrighted. [1]
- An original which "happens to include" copyrighted or trademarked package should not be considered infringement. Such cases should be handled on a case-by-case basis if the copyright holder complains. [2]
- The US does not honor the rule of the shorter term. Works still copyrighted in the US should not be hosted on Wikimedia servers, even if PD in country of origin.[3]
- Extemporaneous (spontaneous, not from notes) speeches may be PD in countries (such as the U.S.) that require a work to be "fixed" or recorded in a tangible medium by the author.[4] While not addressed by Mike's comment, it should be noted that bootleg (live) music recordings are specifically prohibited in the US as an exception to this general rule.
- All works hosted at WikiMedia projects must be legal to publish in the U.S. This also applies to non-English WikiMedia projects.[5]
