Book People Archive

copyright



I suspect that this is an old question. Perhaps I missed it. There are 
people on the web who are publishing out-of-copyright works to the web who 
nevertheless attach a "copyright" notice to it. They are attempting to 
copyright the HTML coding. I realize that proofing and coding take a lot of 
time -- but isn't that analagous to attempting to copyright the typesetting 
of a book? I suppose that if a book, or even a website were exceptionally 
beautifully illustrated (so that it constituted an art work in and of 
itself) or if the redactor/editor added some substantial new material (an 
introduction or notes), then the "work" (i.e. the new material) would 
deserve a copyright notice. But HTML coding (I believe) does not deserve 
such a notice.


Also, I saw a web page that announced that the "look and feel" of it was 
copyright. How can one copyright a "look and feel" of a website?

Sincerely,

Jeff and Paulina Miner