Membership is FREE – with unlimited access to all features, tools, and discussions. Premium accounts get benefits like banner ads and newsletter exposure. ✅ Signature links are now free for all. 🚫 No AI-generated (LLM) posts allowed. Share your own thoughts and experience — accounts may be terminated for violations.

Simple copyrights question

Status
Not open for further replies.

lux

DNF Regular
Legacy Exclusive Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
597
Reaction score
0
Can wills be copyrighted?

Thanks.
 

actnow

Level 9
Legacy Exclusive Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2003
Messages
4,868
Reaction score
10
Do you mean like

Will Form

or

John F. Kennedy's will?
 

lux

DNF Regular
Legacy Exclusive Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
597
Reaction score
0
Yes, like JFK's will, or anybody's for that matter.

Are those types of documents copyrighted? Is there any law against publishing them online or otherwise?
 

DNQuest.com

DNF Addict
Legacy Exclusive Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
993
Reaction score
1
Wouldn't that be a public record? Public records can't be coptwrighted I believe.
 

jberryhill

Philadelphia Lawyer
Legacy Exclusive Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2002
Messages
2,588
Reaction score
23
Wills are not public records.

Any expressive work fixed in tangible form is subject to copyright.

This particular question is usually asked in the form of, "I just bought one of those do-it-yourself will kits, and I want to copy all of the forms and let a friend use them."

Can they have a copyright in those materials? Sure they can.
 

lux

DNF Regular
Legacy Exclusive Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
597
Reaction score
0
I wanted to make a site with strange and celebrity last wills and testaments. Would I run into any problem with that?
 

jberryhill

Philadelphia Lawyer
Legacy Exclusive Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2002
Messages
2,588
Reaction score
23
The copyright, if any, would not reside with the celebrity unless it had been assigned to them by the author of the document. An odd thing about lawyers is that they do not claim copyright in a lot of the things they write, such as contracts, briefs, etc., but I see no reason why they couldn't.

I would peg the probability of "running into problems" as low, just off the top of my head, and would be interested in knowing what some of the other lawyers here think. This is not a legal opinion on the subject.
 

HOWARD

Level 4
Legacy Platinum Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
223
Reaction score
0
Wills are generally recorded and public records in the county in which the person died. It would therefore seem that public records are not copyrightable, though I am sure that there are attorneys out there who would like them to be in order to show off their craftsmanship.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Who has viewed this thread (Total: 1) View details

Who has watched this thread (Total: 1) View details

The Rule #1

Do not insult any other member. Be polite and do business. Thank you!

Premium Members

Upcoming events

Latest Listings

Our Mods' Businesses

*the exceptional businesses of our esteemed moderators

Top Bottom