Papal Words Now Copyrighted
I have to post this story here, because I do not yet have a religious blog (coming soon). The Vatican has decided that the Catholic Church does not have enough money already, so they are going to copyright all words spoken by the Pope.
Not only are Papal speeches now protected by copyright, but also all papers released by the Vatican. Any publisher wishing to use the Pope's words will have to negotiate a fee paid to the Vatican between 3% and 5% of the cover price. That's quite a bit, especially if the usage is small.
Anyone found publishing words from the Holy See without permission will be forced to pay 15% of the cover price. The Vatican claims this is to protect against "pirated editions." I think it is just another sign that the Catholic Church has lost its way. They have a monopoly on "Godly conduits" in the Christian world, and now they are cashing in on that monopoly.
It is a bad move for many reasons. It will not make them more powerful, because it will cause many of its members to turn away from a church that is clearly profiteering. The church is stuck in the medieval idea that they own God. This is 2006, there are now many alternatives to the Catholic Church. There are even faiths so similar to the Catholic Church that people could leave the Church and not change any of their core beliefs.
That said, this is a legal blog, so let's get back to that end of this. Will journalists be charged a tax each time they republish something the Pope has said in a story? Probably not in the United States, but possibly in Italy. I'm sure the Catholic Church will try to collect a fee throughout the world, expanding their influence in the media, but putting too much pressure on powerful publications will cause a backlash, as some will just decide to ignore the Catholic Church altogether and treat it like other "copyrighted" religions, such as Scientology. The Vatican will either have to back off or face some serious mockery, which they might be getting used to by now.
Vatican 'cashes in' by putting price on the Pope's copyright - World - Times Online
Not only are Papal speeches now protected by copyright, but also all papers released by the Vatican. Any publisher wishing to use the Pope's words will have to negotiate a fee paid to the Vatican between 3% and 5% of the cover price. That's quite a bit, especially if the usage is small.
Anyone found publishing words from the Holy See without permission will be forced to pay 15% of the cover price. The Vatican claims this is to protect against "pirated editions." I think it is just another sign that the Catholic Church has lost its way. They have a monopoly on "Godly conduits" in the Christian world, and now they are cashing in on that monopoly.
It is a bad move for many reasons. It will not make them more powerful, because it will cause many of its members to turn away from a church that is clearly profiteering. The church is stuck in the medieval idea that they own God. This is 2006, there are now many alternatives to the Catholic Church. There are even faiths so similar to the Catholic Church that people could leave the Church and not change any of their core beliefs.
That said, this is a legal blog, so let's get back to that end of this. Will journalists be charged a tax each time they republish something the Pope has said in a story? Probably not in the United States, but possibly in Italy. I'm sure the Catholic Church will try to collect a fee throughout the world, expanding their influence in the media, but putting too much pressure on powerful publications will cause a backlash, as some will just decide to ignore the Catholic Church altogether and treat it like other "copyrighted" religions, such as Scientology. The Vatican will either have to back off or face some serious mockery, which they might be getting used to by now.
Vatican 'cashes in' by putting price on the Pope's copyright - World - Times Online