When you do the problems on GoChild, you do realize of course that GoChild is most likely pirating from many Asian go problem books for which it probably has not obtained the permission of the author or the publisher.

If you're interested, a good place to start might be Feist v. Rural.

In Treasure Chest Enigma (I guess it was it.) there is a reference to a professional player buying a problem from another player. So there seems to be something like recognized creator rights for individual problems. A lot of problems however is a) really old, b) too generic to possibly defend such a right as the same problem may be easily created independently (all those problems varying several standard shapes).

You also may want to distinguish between a possibly old problem and the commentary + given solutions. At least this is the reason for SL to present the old classics (taken from a new edition with commentary and solution) without solutions and commentary. And leave it to the readers who stumble upon it to add them.

Furthermore, US law is probably not the most relevant regarding Go Problem books.

[paging kirkmc]...

I'd been under the hazy impression that copyright was primarily at issue based on where something was published/distributed. So if a book written in China was copied and then sold in the US, the question would be what US law requires.

[paging kirkmc]...

I'd been under the hazy impression that copyright was primarily at issue based on where something was published/distributed. So if a book written in China was copied and then sold in the US, the question would be what US law requires.

Thanks. But a book can be out of copyright in one nation, and still in copyright in others, right? How does that fit in with what you've just said?

Yes, of course, if one country has a shorter coverage than another. Let's say that there's a French book that's out of copyright, because it's life plus 50, whereas in the US it's life plus 70. Once the life plus 50 is over in France, anyone can do what they want with the book anywhere in the world.

Pro games are copyrightable?

I am relying upon memory here, but, as I recall, in one of the many discussions on rec.games.go on this topic, someone cited a U. S. case early in the 20th century specifically about chess problems. As i recall the judge ruled that a chess problem itself (but not the commentary) could not be copyrighted because it could occur in a real game, and real game positions were not copyrightable.

My impression is that in Japan and Korea, and probably China, pro games are copyrightable, as are problems.

Aren't they creative works?

A bit off topic but I hope you all realize from which which university faculty most books were stolen. Hint: It was the same faculty in which reference literature were systematically destroyed to hinder fellow students from getting better grades.



Now why do I bring this up? Guess!

Just because I think lawyers are immoral?
Your knowledge is appreciated.