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Do mathematical formula not fall under copyright? That seems a bit too broad. Perhaps it's a bit of a moot point since mathematical notation is somewhat meaning

Do mathematical formula not fall under copyright? That seems a bit too broad. Perhaps it's a bit of a moot point since mathematical notation is somewhat meaningless without context and the context is copyrightable, but whether I denote the end result of a creative process in mathematical notation or in words shouldn't change whether it is copyrightable or not.

papercrane 4y ago
In the US facts are not copyrightable, so in general math is not copyrightable. You can copyright creative expressions that use math formulas, but only that expression itself would be covered. E.g. a paper presenting a proof of a theorem would be copyrightable, but all of the facts expressed by the formulas would not be copyrightable.
- zamnos 4y ago
  Or to put a concrete point on it, Photoshop's content aware fill is ("merely") the implementation of a particular SIGGRAPH paper. The math itself isn't copyrightable, but Adobe is going to come after you if you stick their .dll files on GitHub, and probably win.
shagie 4y ago
https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ31.pdf https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ31.pdf > Copyright law does not protect ideas, methods, or systems. Copyright protection is therefore not available for ideas or procedures for doing, making, or building things; scientific or technical methods or discoveries; business operations or procedures; mathematical principles; formulas or algorithms; or any other concept, process, or method of operation. https://www.copyright.gov/comp3/chap300/ch300-copyrightable-authorship.pdf https://www.copyright.gov/comp3/chap300/ch300-copyrightable-... > 313.3(A) Ideas, Procedures, Processes, Systems, Methods of Operation, Concepts, Principles, or Discoveries > Section 102(b) of the Copyright Act expressly excludes copyright protection for “any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.” 17 U.S.C. § 102(b); see also 37 C.F.R. § 202.1(b). As such, any work or portion of a work that is an idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery does not constitute copyrightable subject matter and cannot be registered. > ... > Mathematical principles, formulas, algorithms, or equations.

papercrane 4y ago

In the US facts are not copyrightable, so in general math is not copyrightable. You can copyright creative expressions that use math formulas, but only that expression itself would be covered. E.g. a paper presenting a proof of a theorem would be copyrightable, but all of the facts expressed by the formulas would not be copyrightable.

zamnos 4y ago
Or to put a concrete point on it, Photoshop's content aware fill is ("merely") the implementation of a particular SIGGRAPH paper. The math itself isn't copyrightable, but Adobe is going to come after you if you stick their .dll files on GitHub, and probably win.

shagie 4y ago

https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ31.pdf https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ31.pdf > Copyright law does not protect ideas, methods, or systems. Copyright protection is therefore not available for ideas or procedures for doing, making, or building things; scientific or technical methods or discoveries; business operations or procedures; mathematical principles; formulas or algorithms; or any other concept, process, or method of operation. https://www.copyright.gov/comp3/chap300/ch300-copyrightable-authorship.pdf https://www.copyright.gov/comp3/chap300/ch300-copyrightable-... > 313.3(A) Ideas, Procedures, Processes, Systems, Methods of Operation, Concepts, Principles, or Discoveries > Section 102(b) of the Copyright Act expressly excludes copyright protection for “any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.” 17 U.S.C. § 102(b); see also 37 C.F.R. § 202.1(b). As such, any work or portion of a work that is an idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery does not constitute copyrightable subject matter and cannot be registered. > ... > Mathematical principles, formulas, algorithms, or equations.