4 ms·

Also, in Germany you cannot give up or transfer copyright to someone else.

by kleiba 14y ago

robomartin 14y ago
How does that work? If I write a book and then sell it to a book publisher and want to transfer all rights and copyrights? I can't?
- andyjohnson0 14y ago
  There is some information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_Germany#Transfer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_Germany#Transf... It looks like you can't transfer copyright but you can exclusively licence it.
  - Xylakant 14y ago
    It's a bit more complicated: We don't have copyright as the americans do, it's split in "Urheberrecht" which is the part the the creator owns and cannot license or sell and the "Verwertungsrecht" which is the right to use the work. Urheberrecht encompasses thing such as the right do defend against modifications that go against the spirit of the work or the author or against defacing it, the right to be named as the creator (though this one can be waived by contract depending on the circumstance) etc. The Urheberrecht can only be transferred by inheritance. The Verwertungsrechte is anything related to the use of the work, such as selling, buying, (sub)licensing it. Please keep in mind that this is a gross oversimplification and IANAL. The copyright situation is complicated enough for experts in the field and cannot be explained in a short post I guess :)
- wpietri 14y ago
  I would be surprised if an author really wanted to do such a thing. The authors I know would be livid if a publisher, say, changed the ending. Publishers typically get the right to publish, and that's it. Opening a few books from my library randomly, the authors or their heirs all hold the copyright.
einhverfr 14y ago
You can transfer commercial rights to someone else, right? Just not moral rights? Or am I missing something?
icebraining 14y ago
They aren't doing that. They're asking for an exclusive license. You retain the copyright, you just can't use it anywhere else.

Also, in Germany you cannot give up or transfer copyright to someone else.

by kleiba 14y ago

Also, in Germany you cannot give up or transfer copyright to someone else.

How does that work? If I write a book and then sell it to a book publisher and want to transfer all rights and copyrights? I can't?

andyjohnson0 14y ago
There is some information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_Germany#Transfer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_Germany#Transf... It looks like you can't transfer copyright but you can exclusively licence it.
- Xylakant 14y ago
  It's a bit more complicated: We don't have copyright as the americans do, it's split in "Urheberrecht" which is the part the the creator owns and cannot license or sell and the "Verwertungsrecht" which is the right to use the work. Urheberrecht encompasses thing such as the right do defend against modifications that go against the spirit of the work or the author or against defacing it, the right to be named as the creator (though this one can be waived by contract depending on the circumstance) etc. The Urheberrecht can only be transferred by inheritance. The Verwertungsrechte is anything related to the use of the work, such as selling, buying, (sub)licensing it. Please keep in mind that this is a gross oversimplification and IANAL. The copyright situation is complicated enough for experts in the field and cannot be explained in a short post I guess :)
wpietri 14y ago
I would be surprised if an author really wanted to do such a thing. The authors I know would be livid if a publisher, say, changed the ending. Publishers typically get the right to publish, and that's it. Opening a few books from my library randomly, the authors or their heirs all hold the copyright.

einhverfr 14y ago

You can transfer commercial rights to someone else, right? Just not moral rights? Or am I missing something?

icebraining 14y ago

They aren't doing that. They're asking for an exclusive license. You retain the copyright, you just can't use it anywhere else.