Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 19:27:18 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: Colleen Cahill <ccah at earthlink.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Q: What do you call two MDs who travel back in time to cure pivotal figures and protect the timeline?
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

List can go either way for Copyright.  If you have a recipe, the list of
ingredients by themselves cannot be copyright, they need "substantial
literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when
there is a collection of recipes as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for
copyright protection."  If you have a book that has nothing but titles, the
entry is Copyrighted, but the not the individual titles: that would be like
trying to copyright a phrase.  You can, however, Trademark a name or phrase.

The stars list is actually address on the Copyright site:
Can I get a star named after me and claim copyright to it?
No. There is a lot misunderstanding about this. Names are not protected by
copyright. Publishers of publications such as a star registry may register
a claim to copyright in the text of the volume [or book] containing the
names the registry has assigned to stars, and perhaps the compilation of
data; but such a registration would not extend protection to any of the
individual star names appearing therein. For further information on
copyright protection and names. See,
<http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ34.html>Circular 34, Copyright
Protection Not Available for Names, Titles, or Short Phrases

Colleen

At 12:34 AM 4/12/2005, you wrote:
>If neither a phrase or title can be copyrighted, then one wonders if a
>book consisting of nothing but titles can be copyrighted.  Or is such a
>book copyrighted without conferring copyright upon its constituant
>parts?  That would really disappoint all those people who have stars
>named after them.  --Tom Haughey
>
>Mike B. wrote:
>
> >At 07:47 PM 4/11/05 -0400, Colleen Cahill wrote:
> >
> >>Yes, Copyright has some interesting things in it.  At
> >>http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/ my favorite question is "Can I protect
> >>my sighting of Elvis?"  Answer at
> >>http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html#elvis.
> >>
> >
> >When it comes to the PTO, never say never.  Given some of the patents they
> >are issuing these days that violate the most basic requirements for
> >patentability (such as obviousness to one skilled in the art, or prior art,
> >etc.), particularly in the area of software patents, who knows what they
> >will get up to when it comes to copyright?  Though in that case the courts
> >would have to play a bigger role than they do with granting patents.  I can
> >copyright anything for a fee...enforcement is another matter.  Patents are
> >supposed to be prevented unless they are really patentable, but aren't
> always.
> >
> >Maybe one episode of Ernest's new series can have one of the doctors trying
> >to cash in on patents by registering medical equipment far enough in the
> >past to beat the true inventors.  Stuff like the refrigeration system used
> >in medical instruments to keep them well below room temperature, those
> >"gowns" that are sized to fit everyone poorly regardless of body
> >configuration, or those particularly nauseating shades of green and yellow
> >that they use to paint the insides of hospitals.
> >
> >-- Mike B.
> >

Colleen R. Cahill
ccah at earthlink.net
Librarian by Profession, Reviewer by Avocation, Reader by Addiction