[Uehreka]

> What's a work of art?

According to the Wikipedia Article on Copyright Law in the United States:

> The United States copyright law protects "original works of authorship" fixed in a tangible medium, including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. Copyright law includes the following types of works: Literary, Musical, Dramatic, Pantomimes and choreographic works, Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works, Audio-visual works, Sound recordings, Derivative works, Compilations, Architectural works.

If there are confusing edge cases, a judge will decide what counts, since definitions are subject to interpretation. But for the most part, this stuff is pretty clear cut and common sense.

None of this is to say I agree with this new legislation, I just don’t like when people on HN act as if the law falls apart in the face of freshman philosophy questions.

[drewcoo]

Can someone be prosecuted for ripping book club sections out of the backs of books before giving the books away? Asking "for a friend."

I really feel I'm doing a service to the people receiving the books and anyone they hand the books off to . . .

[eointierney]

I used to be an artist and then studied science. The first constitution I read was that of the USA, then that of Ireland. I've been reading law since. The decisions of judges are of variable quality and always susceptible to appeal, especially to autonomy. And the Law always falls apart in the face of the philosophy of freshmen, it's how we hold it together in the face of each other that makes it worthwhile.