[linux-audio-user] Copyrights on samples

[dwillis at stx.rr.com]

On Wed, 15 Oct 2003, iriXx wrote:

> the sounds from a synth are normally licensed under the EULA in such a
> way that the sound presets themselves are protected, but the creation of
> any work from them is not. it cannot be - you are the one who makes
> 'reasonable effort' to create a work from them. the judgement of how
> much effort you put into a work is part of judging whether it can be
> copyrighted.

who's ever seen an EULA on a hardware synth?  i haven't.

> the copyright exists in the waveform and the sound library. you can't
> copyright A400 Hz but you can copyright a preset.
> it all goes back again to what i was saying about reasonable effort
> being put into creating a work.

i could write a program in a few hours that would create sysex files of
every possible patch that the microKORG (or many other synths) can have.  
could i then copyright these and then demand payment from everyone who
uses that synth with other than the original presets?  

-dave