TIL: The government can actually use eminent domain a copyright. There is precedent: the song "This Land is Your Land."
TN could take control of the copyright and publish it if they had any balls. They would just need to provide the holder with just compensation. What's a insane manifesto by a child murder worth?
Eminent domain is the process by which the government seizes private property. It's why a single hold-out can't ask $1b for their trailer that's blocking a planned interstate. The state goes, "here's what we consider the fair market value. You ARE selling to us."
It is legally possible for them to do that with copyright as well. "The rights to the manifesto are worth $500k. It's in the public interest they're seen. You just sold them to us." Unlikely as anything, but technically possible.
I assume the copyright holder would be the parents now, so even putting aside any political motivations, “hey, would you be willing to publicize the crazy hate-screed your mentally unbalanced child wrote before turning into school shooter?” is probably not a request most people would grant.
It says the victims families hold the copyright. I imagine they would want the truth about their slaughtered children accurately reported for posterity
The state of Bavaria in Germany has done this for a long time with Hitlers book. The book was never banned, just copyright stopped it from being published. Government have used copyright for decades to stop certain things from being published, just in this case it's in the public interest to have it revealed and they will never do so ESPECIALLY because the public will turn on them.
Are copyrights public information? If so can't people persuade the copyright holder?
TIL: The government can actually use eminent domain a copyright. There is precedent: the song "This Land is Your Land."
TN could take control of the copyright and publish it if they had any balls. They would just need to provide the holder with just compensation. What's a insane manifesto by a child murder worth?
The article says the victims' families hold the copyright though. If the government holds the copyright don't they have to say they own the copyright?
Eminent domain is the process by which the government seizes private property. It's why a single hold-out can't ask $1b for their trailer that's blocking a planned interstate. The state goes, "here's what we consider the fair market value. You ARE selling to us."
It is legally possible for them to do that with copyright as well. "The rights to the manifesto are worth $500k. It's in the public interest they're seen. You just sold them to us." Unlikely as anything, but technically possible.
I assume the copyright holder would be the parents now, so even putting aside any political motivations, “hey, would you be willing to publicize the crazy hate-screed your mentally unbalanced child wrote before turning into school shooter?” is probably not a request most people would grant.
It says the victims families hold the copyright. I imagine they would want the truth about their slaughtered children accurately reported for posterity
Oops, I misread that. Thanks for the correction.
The state of Bavaria in Germany has done this for a long time with Hitlers book. The book was never banned, just copyright stopped it from being published. Government have used copyright for decades to stop certain things from being published, just in this case it's in the public interest to have it revealed and they will never do so ESPECIALLY because the public will turn on them.