Re: Jill's question about the "Mary Smith" letter

Don Z'Boray (zboray@io.com)
Wed, 28 Dec 1994 19:19:33 -0800

On Wed, 28 Dec 1994, J. Ellsworth wrote:
> OK, work with me here -- if Mary Smith writes me a letter (paper) and sends
> it to me via the postal service, I own the letter -- I can sell the
> letter, burn the letter, or otherwise dispose of it. Right? (or not?)
>

INALE (i'm not a lawyer either)
my understanding is that Mary Smith owns the copyright and you own the
hardcopy she snail mailed to you. Mary Smith is the only one with the
right (US copyright laws and Berne convention) to authorize the publication
of that letter. You have the right to sell the hardcopy, as a physical
thing, to another, but your doing so does not convey to the buyer the right
to reproduce the letter without Mary Smith's approval.

> Now if I get an e-mail letter from Mary Smith, who owns the letter????

Ought to be the same thing.

- don ;-)

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