[WikiEN-l] Re: Vatican is asserting copyright

[Anthere]

Katefan0 wrote:
> All,
> 
> CNN this morning was reporting that the Vatican has decided to assert
> copyright on basically all papal communications (speeches, encyclicals,
> etc.) made by every pope during the last 50 years, with the exception of
> "the news media."  I don't know how much material we might have that could
> fall afoul of this new declaration, or whether the Vatican would consider
> Wikipedia and Wikisource under that umbrella, but someone more familiar with
> Catholic information in Wikimedia areas should probably get involved.
> 
> I don't know if there's any reason to think the Vatican would be willing to
> grant a PD or GFDL licensing exception for Wikipedia. The spokesman said
> that "newspapers have the right to publish texts as news" (such as
> encyclicals), presumably because there's no profit made specifically from
> their use.  But I'm not sure how this would apply to WP or WS.
> 
> -k
> 
> http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/01/25/ap2475804.html
> _______________________________________________

...
Is that legal to retrospectively apply a copyright on communications ?

...
I must say I am abashed by this news...I seem to remember that the key 
point of a religion was to carry on a deity words so as to ensure a good 
number of believers...

Weird

ant