Chinese Characters

[lyn39]

Are Chinese characters copyrighted? My acupuncturist and I are creating a journal for practictioners and patients and would like to include the characters as well as the translations for some of the acupuncture points. Many thanks. Lyn

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lyn39:
Are Chinese characters copyrighted? My acupuncturist and I are creating a journal for practictioners and patients and would like to include the characters as well as the translations for some of the acupuncture points. Many thanks. Lyn<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response:

Pictograms, or Chinese Characters, and Arabic letters used by the Western World, are not, in and of themselves, copyrighted or copyrightable. Pictograms are characters, or representations, in picture form, that when placed singly, or together, represent various ideas or things. If you think about it, if such characters were, in fact, copyrightable, then how would the world commununicate? What I'm saying to you here may, in fact, be copyrightable. But, the letters that make up these sentences are not.

Another example would be the letters that make up "Coca-Cola" - which is not only a Trademark, but is a Copyright of the company of the same name. It's not the letters; it's the "grouping" of those letters that make something a Trademark or a Copyright.

IAAL

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[This message has been edited by I AM ALWAYS LIABLE (edited October 03, 2000).]

 

[lyn39]

Thanks for your reply! To me most specific: If I were to scan (from an acupuncture textbook) a character that means, "shining gate to heaven" for example, and use it ( although I would have no way of knowing who the actual writer might be) would I be in some sort of violation of artistic creation? The characters that we would like to use do not have authorship attached.

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lyn39:
Thanks for your reply! To me most specific: If I were to scan (from an acupuncture textbook) a character that means, "shining gate to heaven" for example, and use it ( although I would have no way of knowing who the actual writer might be) would I be in some sort of violation of artistic creation? The characters that we would like to use do not have authorship attached. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My rewsponse:

You're not understanding what I have written. Keep reading it until the light bulb above your head comes on.

IAAL



------------------
By reading the “Response” to your question or comment, you agree that: The opinions expressed herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE" are designed to provide educational information only and are not intended to, nor do they, offer legal advice. Opinions expressed to you in this site are not intended to, nor does it, create an attorney-client relationship, nor does it constitute legal advice to any person reviewing such information. No electronic communication with "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE," on its own, will generate an attorney-client relationship, nor will it be considered an attorney-client privileged communication. You further agree that you will obtain your own attorney's advice and counsel for your questions responded to herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE."