Books, pamphlets, songs, drawings, software and a host of other devices can be copyrighted by a person or any legal entity. Copyright ensures that only the originator has the right to produce copies of the product, feature or slogan con­cerned and anybody else is not allowed to copy without the explicit permission of the owner of the copyright.

Like designs, patents and trade­marks, copyright comes, generally speak­ing, under the heading of intellectual property, which can be registered both nationally and internationally.

It is reassuring to know that your hard work or writing and perhaps illustrating a book or inventing another (proverbial) fail-proof mousetrap is protected and only you can reap the benefits (if any) from this product. Not only your intellect, but also your years of research, study and personal sacrifice by way of time, travel or experiments in your shed are to be recognised. The manuscript for the book probably also needed a paid edi­tor, whilst in the case of the mousetrap various experimental traps had to be built and prototypes made. Perhaps a colony of experimental candidates had to be maintained to test the various stages of the mousetrap's efficiency. In both cas­es midnight oil perhaps was burnt and many other items can be added to the list of expenses and discomfort that the writer or inventor (and their friends and family) may have had to endure until the product was ready.

But ready for what? The author of the book needs a publisher; finding one can again incur enormous difficulties and can perhaps be without immediate or any success. The inventor needs a firm that is willing to take on the mousetrap. Mar­keting, venture capital and a lot more is needed before a product is eventually manufactured and initial sales, followed by repeat sales, make any product a success. To make this ar­ticle not too long (and to satisfy the marketing pro­fessionals among us) we will not dwell on advertis­ing, packaging, distribu­tion, pricing and the ulti­mate profitability of the product.

All we have wanted to do is illustrate that the protection of intellectual prop­erty is a valid thing and prevents the author of the product from not being re­warded for his/her enormous efforts.

A person who is engaged by an em­ployer cannot claim to be the (prospec­tive) owner of the intellectual property, if it is a corporate project that brought about the end result. The copyright or patent, in such cases, is claimed or reg­istered by and belongs to the employ­er's organisation. In short it belongs to the boss. This is not the place to dis­cuss theft or industrial espionage.

What Would Jesus Do?⤒🔗

The Lord Jesus, the disciples, the apostles, the prophets, the patriarchs, the psalmists, the elders and deacons of the Scrip­tures, the early Chris­tians "fish logo", the ear­ly church fathers, the leaders of the Reforma­tion have nowhere ever left us any sign, instruc­tions or encouragement to assure copyright of their Kingdom work.

Early Bible translators and commentators, whilst literally burning midnight oil; and some­times suffering from bad health or pay­ing with their very lives, were simply do­ing what their hand found to do. They understood their calling without person­ally benefiting through royalties or licens­ing agreements. When looking at some of the genuinely, older books (say prior to 1900 or pre-world war I) that were writ­ten for the instruction or edification of the saints it is very difficult to find any that claim copyright by either the author or a publisher.

The early authors, (and their friends and family) as church history tells us, were often accompanied by great discom­fort. Payment in lieu was never a point. They too had to find a publisher (printer) who sometimes suffered as much or more to accomplish the task, amidst undesirable circumstances such as per­secution.

They worked as co-workers of Christ, and without any secular legislation mak­ing clear their status, simply worked and worked on their project (and please ac­cept this reverently) because it belongs to the Boss, the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

In writing this we may be accused of over-simplifying. We may be told that to­day's circumstances are entirely differ­ent. We could be asked; how a (young) theologian would be able to publish his work nowadays if there was not a meas­ure of risk assurance for him and his publisher by way of copyright? Our an­swer is: very simple, as in former days, an author would find a like-minded publisher, financier or a group of friends or colleagues to finance or underwrite the venture. If what the author has to say is of importance the work will, most likely, be widely accepted. We could question whether this product was created for the instruction or edification of the saints. He was most likely called to be under-shepherd and teaching elder of a con­gregation and hopefully his congregation has not suffered as a consequence of the diversification of his work. On the contrary, we hope his diligent study of the Word and its preaching has, through the work of the Holy Spirit, enlightened him and he now wants to share it with more saints and broadcast this to a greater audience.

The Lord Jesus is very clear. Rather than advocating copyright, He encourag­es us to let our light shine, to put it on a lampstand and not hide it under a bush­el or peck-measure — (depending on your "copyrighted" translation). He says, "Do not hinder", (which means to keep back or behind, to hamper, restrain or restrict), and yet practically every Christian book, tape or video that is published these days is restricted by copyright.

What are Many Christian Writers and Publishers Doing?←⤒🔗

Most, if not all, recent Bible transla­tions have a copyright restriction. Trying to restrict God's revelation has become a widely imposed (and often accepted) phenomenon. Has God's Word been com­mercialised? It appears that way.

Are Christian writers no longer keen to share their Spirit inspired insights with the saints and work to the glory of God? Christian publications no longer seem to be written and published with love for the neighbour in mind, let alone the material actually belongs to the Boss, to the King of Kings. Kingdom work seems to have developed into a niche market for many. A recently written pam­phlet which was developed for mass dis­tribution for evangelistic purposes was asked to be withdrawn or rewritten as it contained too many quotes from a Chris­tian booklet. The Christian publisher would not wear it. Yet the pamphlet had a footnote stating that the material was based on the booklet in question. We wonder what motivates some Christian writers and publishers. Is it God or Mam­mon?

We sing beautiful hymns testifying of our zeal for God. "Take my sil­ver and my gold, not a mite (royalty or payment) should I withhold" and "Ambassadors to be of realms beyond the sea" and many other songs and Scripture portions breathe an entirely different atmosphere.

May aspiring Kingdom writers among us take heed not to write for pe­cuniary gain or personal fame.