Is memorizing a book considered a copyright infringement?
warumonomac asked:
Verbatim is this considered copyright infrigement.
Other - Business & Finance | admin | 
November 30, 2008 1:07 pm
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By captmhunt, November 30, 2008 @ 9:31 pm
I’d call it “Impressive”… but I’d never call it a copyright infringement.
By kittyikes, December 3, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
Not if its used for educational purposes.
Take him to your local library and have him read books for the blind! I’m so serious!
By Archangeleon, December 5, 2008 @ 9:49 am
No, that would not be considered copyright infringment. Copyright infringment happens when you make an actual, physical copy of a copyrighted work that you don’t own to either sell or keep for yourself. Memorizing and repeating the text of books (which is very impressive, btw) is not illegal.
By MOM KNOWS EVERYTHING, December 6, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
Not unless he presents it as his own work, or tries to sell it in some form (including charging people to listen to him recite it)
By Jonathan Bailey, December 9, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
Under normal circumstances, no. There is no infringement in simply being able to memorize a lengthy work. Copyright infringement, generally, does not take place until a tangible copy of the work has been created. Meaning, if s/he were to write it down again, there is a possibility.
Also, it’s worth nothing that copyright law grants the copyright holder the sole right to perform the work. If s/he were to use that memory to give performances of the works she’s memorized, there is at least a possibility for trouble.
However, in all of these circumstances trouble is unlikely. Publishers aren’t likely to discover or truly care about small reuses of their work. Unless the performances are very large, at which point s/he would probably be better off using public domain works, or s/he was some how making a great deal from this talent, the odds of someone raising a fuss are slim.
In the end, there is nothing wrong or illegal about memorizing a work for personal use. It’s an amazing talent.