[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Thomas Bushnell, BSG) writes: > John Hasler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > The US government definitely is allowed to own copyrights. The restriction > > is on _enforcing_ their copyrights on works of which they are author. > > There are two ways to be the owner of a copyright. First, you can buy > it from someone else (or otherwise get it by transfer). The US > government can own copyrights this way. > > The second way is by writing something. The US government cannot own > copyrights this way. But this is not a restriction merely on > enforcement, rather, no copyright at all exists. > > As evidence, I cite the following, 17 USC 105: > > "Copyright protection under this title is not available for any work > of the United States Government, but the United States Government is > not precluded from receiving and holding copyrights transferred to it > by assignment, bequest, or otherwise."
The specific powers of the U.S. government listed there are "receiving" and "holding". It does not mention "enforcing" or "protecting", etc. Are those powers implied elsewhere?