The link to the 1978 decree makes me wonder because both of these were issued about a month after these popes came to power. Were there similar decrees in relation to the previous popes? Perhaps not for John Paul I because of his short reign, but certainly for the three popes before him. Pius XI might be a different matter since he did not have temporal power in 1922. I suspect that this activity may be nothing more than a routine decree showing that the pope has abandoned his personal rights in favour of the church.
Ec
valdelli@bluemail.ch wrote:
Here the decree: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/2005/documents/rc_seg-st...
with this notice: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/2005/documents/rc_seg-st...
There is no references to 50 years period or retroaction.
Ok, but there is this another decree issued in the 1978!!!
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/lev/docs_lev/decret...
The decree of Benedetto XVI draws on the oldest 1978's decree which safeguard the works of Giovanni Paolo II and generally of members of Vatican:
"...the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, in his capacity as official publisher of the Holy See, over the traditional obligation to safeguard written texts and speeches of the sovereign Pontiffs and the publications concerning Acts of the Holy See, has received the assignment of protect also the written ones of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla. Cannot be made publications, translations or reproductions in whichever graphical or phonical typology of Its written texts and speeches without the explicit authorization of the aforesaid Libreria Editrice Vaticana, following the international agreements and the laws on the Copyrights... (L'O.R. 27-28 Novembre 1978)".
In this case the decree of previous may don't say anything about the copyright on the Joannis Paulus II, but there was already another decree, the new decree seems to be a confirmation.
But it's better to ask.
Ilario
-- Messaggio originale -- To: foundation-l@wikimedia.org From: Anthere anthere9@yahoo.com Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 22:09:48 +0100 Subject: [Foundation-l] Re: Copyright of Vatican stuff Reply-To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List foundation-l@wikimedia.org
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2005615,00.html
here it says
The edict covers Pope Benedict XVI?s first encyclical, which is to be issued this week amid huge international interest. The edict is retroactive, covering not only the writings of the present pontiff ? as
Pope and as cardinal ? but also those of his predecessors over the past
50 years. It therefore includes anything written by John Paul II, John Paul I, Paul VI and John XXIII.