[pianotech] Steinway parts list

[Delwin D Fandrich]

Well, there are lists and then there are lists. The following is taken from
the U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright Basics. Works that cannot be
copyrighted include:

 

. Works consisting entirely of information that is common

property and containing no original authorship (for

example: standard calendars, height and weight charts,

tape measures and rulers, and lists or tables taken from

public documents or other common sources)

 

The information contained in Steinway's parts list proprietary to Steinway,
it was authored by Steinway, formatted by Steinway and published by
Steinway. I would guess it is considered by Steinway to be confidential. In
any case the information in it is not "common property" and it is not going
to be found in "public documents or other common sources." 

 

As may be, it was my impression that it was actually Steinway's publication;
it was not a reformatted or recompiled list of that information. I'd be real
surprised if it was not covered by copyright law. 

 

As I said earlier, I have no idea what Steinway's position might be in all
of this. They may actually encourage its free distribution for all I know.
My only point was, and is, that making their price list public is not a
decision a few piano technicians have the right to make on their own.

 

ddf

 

 

 

Delwin D Fandrich

Piano Design & Fabrication

6939 Foothill Court SW, Olympia, Washington 98512 USA

Phone  360.515.0119 - Cell  360.388.6525

del at fandrichpiano.com  <mailto:del at fandrichpiano.com> - ddfandrich at gmail.com

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Boyce
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2011 7:12 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Steinway parts list

 

Indeed. Copyright is not something that you have to DO. It is something that
automatically IS.  It is a right that exists as soon as you produce an
original work. 

What would be copyright about a price list, however, is the TYPOGRAPHICAL
ARRANGEMENT of the prices into a list. The information or fact that a
particular part costs a particular price, is not copyright. There is no
copyright in facts or ideas; only in original WORKS produced using skill and
judgement.

It is the same with the piano numbers books like Pierce, as we discussed on
here a couple of years ago.  It would break copyright law to scan and
reproduce a page of Pierce. But it would not breach copyright to use the
piano numbers listed in it, in some other context (however much the
publishers might care to suggest otherwise!).

The information that a given flange costs a given price, does not constitute
a WORK.  The typographical arrangement of prices for all parts into a list,
does constitute a WORK. Therefore, copying and reproducing the list, or
work, is a breach of copyright. Distributing the information IN the list, in
some other form, is not.

More pertinent here, though, is the aspect of business confidentiality and
business relationships.

End of pedantic rant.

Best regards,

David Boyce.





It does not have to show specific copyright information. It is copyrighted
material by virtue of its having been written. (See pg. 3 of the attached
"Copyright Basics.") Like it or not, Steinway's price list is copyrighted
and the copyright is owned by its creator or by the entity paying for its
creation; in this case Steinway & Sons. To reproduce it or to distribute it
without their permission is a violation of copyright law. 

 

Now, Steinway may or may not care if you distribute their document without
checking with them first-I have no idea what their position might be-but
that is their decision to make; not ours.

 

ddf

 

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