Sat, Jan 3 2009 1:43 AM aheram

Copyright in Hitler's Globe

From Against Monopoly:

Tom Cruise May Face Legal Action Over Hitler Globe reports that the collector who bought the famous "Hitler's globe" may sue for use of a likeness of the globe in Cruise's recent film Valkyrie, "the thriller about a real-life plot to assassinate Hitler." The article reports that in "2007, Pritikin paid $100,000 for the globe and had its likeness copyrighted to keep it from being used in propaganda by sick neo-Nazi groups." Whew, what a relief!

How is it even possible to copyright something you did not create, but purchased?

Filed under:

# re: Copyright in Hitler's Globe

Monday, January 5, 2009 12:49 PM by Gracey

Is there anything different about this globe than others of it's era, other than it belonged to hitler?

My grandfather (whom I never knew) had a globe that looked very much like this one, but was just an ordinary globe, like you'd have found in a schoolroom, or somebody's study.

If Pritikin copyrighted "it's likeness", then what happens when a half dozen collectors of vintage maps and globes show up with similar globes from that era? The were in pre-existence prior to the copyright filing.

I understand a fair bit about copyright, but this boggles my mind.

# re: Copyright in Hitler's Globe

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 3:15 AM by aheram

It should not be possible to copyright something else someone else created.