Legal Question in Intellectual Property in District of Columbia

Can you copyright translations of non-copyrghted material from another country?

Hello,

If a person translates (subtitiles) a video that is from another country and that video is not copyrighted in that country nor is that country a signator on any international copyright agreement, can the translator claim that he / she owns the copyright to the video with the subtitles on it?


Asked on 5/07/08, 12:39 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Daniel Press Chung & Press, P.C.

Re: Can you copyright translations of non-copyrghted material from another country?

No. The translator has a copyright in the translation as a derivative work, but copyright in the video is either in the author/assignee or in the public domain.

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Answered on 5/07/08, 11:27 am


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