Copyright question...

[SteveT]

I know this has been discussed several times (relating to different problems), but I wonder whether someone could give me a non-technical, straightforward answer (I'm sadly a bear of little brain!).

I am a great fan of BibleWorks and particularly like the feature that allows one to export datasets of text. My question is simple: I want to create an online database for students that contains a searchable version of the LXX. To do this I have created an XML version of all of the texts of the Septuagint (in unicode), using the output from BibleWorks. Is this okay? If not, is there any way around this (e.g. can I buy permission - and how much)? If this is still not kosher, I would appreciate any advice on where I can get a unicode version of the LXX from, which would suffice (legally and morally!) for my purposes.

Many thanks, in advance,

Steve

[Michael Hanel]

Unless someone has a better answer, I would say that you would be breaching copyright by using the LXX text on BibleWorks. Just looking at the Rahlfs edition copyright info provided in BibleWorks it said it was first copyrighted in 1935, which would mean it's still under copyright and you can't use it unless you get permission from the publishers like BW has.

However, there are numerous LXX sites up apparently where you can get it in unicode. Check out this link (http://faculty.bbc.edu/rdecker/lxx.htm). Even if these sites have Rahlfs (which apparently one does), they must know something different. Anyway the point is if you use Rahlfs from their site, in your use of it, you can attribute it to them and not to BibleWorks that way any trouble you do get into has nothing to do with BibleWorks ;)

Anyway, copyright stuff in general is rather fuzzy. First you have to determine if something is in copyright, but then even if something is public domain, you have to determine if using an electronic source would be breaching a different copyright. In general if I use something I try to make sure the text itself is in public domain and the site of provenance is okay with my use of the text.


Mike Hanel

[jdarlack]

Hello there!

The ONLY way to get a clear, legal answer regarding the use of BW databases is to ASK BibleWorks. That being said, I concur with Mike Hanel. There are various versions of the LXX on the web that you could probably put to use.

Unbound Bible: http://unbound.biola.edu/zips/index.cfm?lang=English
Prof. Decker has a great page with many links to texts of the LXX: http://faculty.bbc.edu/rdecker/lxx.htm
Many online versions are based upon UPenn's CCAT text: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/gopher/text/religion/biblical/lxxmorph/

I am sure there are other E-texts out there.