Is The Bible Copyright? - Some Versions Are - But Some Are not!
Is it OK to use text from the Bible on artwork ?
It depends!
I have heard arguments in the past that the Bible is God's Word and should be readily available to use for everyone. That is true of the original text. Most translations fall under copyright law.
You may use text from the Public Domain versions of the Bible on your artwork, but did you know that you may use text from the copyright versions of the Bible, usually from 200-500 words, only as long as it does not make up more than 20-25% (depending on translations) of the text, and the usage is not commercial ? So, because the Bible quotes on my artwork make up 100% of the text, I may not use a copyright version without express permission from the publisher.
This site is a good resource, and should answer most of the questions you may have.
I use only Public Domain versions in my artwork. There are plenty available, but my favorite is the World English Bible (WEB), translated specifically to avoid copyright hassles!
Of course, you can write to a publisher and ask for express permission, but it is granted usually only for non-commercial usage! Because I am publishing my artwork on Steemit, and I stand to make a profit from doing so, the usage would be considered commercial. So, sticking to Public Domain versions allows me to have a good conscience, knowing that I have not deprived publishers of their income.
The image of an eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly resting on a coneflower (echinacea angustifolia) was photographed in Georgia, USA with one of my early digital cameras - the Canon EOS 10D using the 100.0-300.0 mm zoom lens.
Camera settings: 1/180 sec; f/8; ISO 400
Text from the World English Bible (WEB)
Image © Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
Link to my RM image on Alamy
Thanks for taking the time to read this! I appreciate it.
To find my photography and designs on Steemit, please search on #dianemacphoto.
That's a beautifully taken picture and I love the bible verse so true! Happy day to you😀
Thank you! I appreciate that! :-)
KJV is not copyright at all, why anyone would want to use garbage translations from the Catholics is beyond me.
Who said the KJV is copyright? If you want to get into it, it technically sort of is copyright in the UK, as the British Crown holds the rights to it! It is in the Public Domain in the USA, but I am not sure where else!
What do you know about languages and translations? No language can be translated exactly word for word and convey the correct meaning. Try translating literally It's raining cats and dogs into say French. I know that the direct translation would make absolutely no sense at all!