Bruce wrote:
On Aug 20, 2:35 pm, guenter wrote:
I'm primarily interested, whether it's possible per se to copyright
chessgames
or chess positions. Independently of the other comparisons mentioned
here.

Aren't chessgames just similar to mathematical,combinatorical
entities which can't be copyrighted ?

Well, commented chessgames or collections of chessgames are different.
But could someone forbid others to publish a special position
which he invented or a special game which he "invented" ?
What about other games then, like Go, checkers, ...,tiktaktoe ?

Presently it is not possible to copyright chess positions or chess
games.


I disagree. You can certainly copyright a composed position or problem.

That doesn't mean you can prohibit someone from playing into that
position in a game - but it does mean that you can prevent someone from
publishing the same position/problem AS a position/problem.

The key difference is between having an idea and reducing it to concrete
form on the one hand and recording the result of some other activity on
the other hand. One is creative - the other is reporting.

--
Kenneth Sloan
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/