From: Sam Sloan <sloan <at> ISHIPRESS <dot> COM>
Date: 17 jul 2003
Subject: Re: Copyright of game score

At 02:01 AM 7/17/2003 +0900, YAMADA Tsuyoshi wrote:
>Hello everyone,
>
>> The above site has pro's scores, but JSF doesn't sue them.
>> More importantly, it offers a system that anyone can post pro or
>> ama's score, and the webmaster clearly states that game scores
>> do not have copyright, regardless of pro or ama.
>
>I also think that there are no legal grounds that favor pros
>even in Japan.
>
>By the way, how about chess problems themselves?
>A problem is created by the composer, is reflected by unified
>intention, and is not a historical fact.
>Negative factors for problem copyrightability are fewer than
>that of game record.
>
>However it is not clear in Japan whether Tsume-Shogi is
>copyrightable or not. Perhaps also Tsume-Go...
>
>Regards,
>________
>YAMADA Tsuyoshi (tsuya <at> george24 <dot> com)
>

Certainly Tsume-shogi and Tsume-Go problems are copyrightable and cannot be
reproduced without the permission of the creator.

Howeve, in my experience, most composers want their problems published and
distributed as widely as possible and have no objection to their reproduction.

Sam Sloan