Who Owns a Tarot Spread?

[Yelell]

The dictionary definition I just saw was:

public domain
Examples Word Origin
noun, Law.
1.
the status of a literary work or an invention whose copyright or patent has expired or that never had such protection.


That seems to me to imply something would need to be registered first or be unprotected? That makes sense to me in a way.

The link Laura provided says "Once you express your idea in a fixed form — as a digital painting, recorded song, or even scribbled on a napkin — it is automatically copyrighted if it is an original work of authorship.".

If someone's claim to ownership was ever very seriously challenged, what could prove who really did come up with it first?

 

[Metafizzypop]

The link Laura provided says "Once you express your idea in a fixed form — as a digital painting, recorded song, or even scribbled on a napkin — it is automatically copyrighted if it is an original work of authorship.".

If someone's claim to ownership was ever very seriously challenged, what could prove who really did come up with it first?

I suppose the napkin, complete with coffee stains, would work as evidence. Often, creators have rough drafts or notes or something that others would not have.

@Laura Borealis. Great sites you dug up. Thanks for finding them. Very succinct and informative. I'd found similar information on the web, but not those particular sites.

 

[Grizabella]

You'd need to have registered it formally for a fee, I think. Just ideas are not copyrightable, I know.

 

[gregory]

You'd need to have registered it formally for a fee, I think. Just ideas are not copyrightable, I know.

But the TEXT on the spread was the Big Thing - no ? and that IS copyrightable. I know a few people have taken websites to court after they'd re-used their POSTS (just their posts) and have won. And this site tells us all:

Respect Copyright

You may post a short text excerpt only from articles by another author. Complete works may not be posted unless you have obtained written permission for its reproduction.

Posts from other forums may not be reproduced without written permission from the author and forum administration.

and also

By posting on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum, you retain copyright of your images and words, but you give permission to Aeclectic Tarot to reproduce your posts in digital format; for example, when managing threads and posts or copying the database to another server.

Solandia knows her webstuff. If she says we retain copyright of our posts, that copyright must exist - she's not stupid.

 

[Zephyros]

Plus, while ideas can't be copyrighted, they can be patented. In short, intellectual property is a colossal mess.