Orphic Copyright

[Queso]

Upon studying Orphic mystics I found a quote and fell in love.

This quote was found written on a gold leaf in a tomb, as a reminder, or note, for the dead:

 

"I am the son of Earth and Starry Heaven. I am thirsty, please give me something to drink from the fountain of Mnemosyne."

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphic

 

Is that quote copyrighted?

 

I want to incorporate it into poetry, even though it already is.

[C1ay]

Is that quote copyrighted?

 

I want to incorporate it into poetry, even though it already is.

 

No. Incorporating it in such a way as to leave an impression that it is your own work though would be plagiarism....

[Queso]

I don't think so.

 

what iff I wrote about orphic mystics poetically and incorporated the sentence quoted with the reference right there a part of the poem?

 

would that still be plagerism?

 

So, the quote isn't copyrighted. I think I need to bring it back from the dead.

[Buffy]

Copyright is limited by law to set numbers of years (its getting complicated and I don't have them handy), and it mostly refers to copying entire works, although it can be used to protect much smaller excerpts (see "fair use" controversy), so this stuff is old enough not to have to worry about it.

 

Plagiarism is a valid issue of course, but it is awfully gray. Most of the great literature of the last many hundred years contains direct quotes from the Bible specifically to make points in the plot. The assumption however by most of these authors was that anyone who could read had read the Bible and would realize that it was a specific allusion rather than being adopting as one's own words.

 

With the growth of popular culture of course, these allusions are all over the map: if I say "mouse ears" what do you think of? Is that plagiarism of Disney? Arguably not. OTOH, if you pick up something really obscure that no one knows about and do not leave at least very broad references to the source (or better yet some explicit citation), you're getting into an area where someone could legitimately throw the "P-word" at you. Its up to you, but you won't have much ground to stand on if someone blasts you about it.

 

Appropriately appropriated,

Buffy

[Tormod]

Is that quote copyrighted?

 

I don't think it is. It would basically be like quoting a sentence from the bible. I don't think you need approval (who would you ask?) nor give credit.

[Boerseun]

Funny enough, the Bible is indeed copyrighted. But not the content. Only the physical layout, and if it's a Children's Bible, the illustrations. It's pretty petty and pointless, if you ask me, because if the content is free, and you want to create your own bible, how on earth would you copy it and have the physical elements the same? Damn lawyers, lemme tell you.

 

I doubt there'll be any copyright attached to the stuff you're worried about. But then again, there are certain poetic freedoms when it comes to well-known works. For instance, the line 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn' or James Bond saying 'Shaken, not stirred' is publicly well-known, and becomes de facto public property which can then be used poetically as a form of social commentary. Whether text or phrases are well-known enough to actually become public property is incredibly subjective, at best, however. Use it and wait to be dragged to court, and then use this defense.

 

But I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[ughaibu]

The question is, when and by whom was the line translated?

[Tormod]

The question is, when and by whom was the line translated?

 

Good point. If the translation is fairly new and has a copyright on it, reuse may not be allowed.

 

Although I wonder what kind of religion would come after you for using extracts of their texts in an artistic and non-satiric manner...

[Queso]

I'm sure the Orphics won't mind. Thanks Hypography.

[jungjedi]

done and done.thanks orbsycli

[Queso]

done and done.thanks orbsycli

 

For what? :shrug:

[jungjedi]

what?

[Queso]

Isn't it beautiful?

 

Those Orphics truly believed they would find that note after death, and use it to drink ftom the fountain of Memory in hell . .