RE: COPYLEFT SIGN

From: Marco.Cimarosti@icl.com
Date: Mon May 15 2000 - 14:42:57 EDT


John Cowan wrote:
> Only the Italian version uses the phrase "software libero senza
> permesso d'autore", with a translator's footnote:
> Si tratta di un gioco di parole, che qui viene
> reso con "permesso di autore": copyright
> (diritto di autore) è formato dalle parola "copy" (copia)
> e "right" (diritto, ma anche destra), opposto di "left"
> (sinistra, ma anche lasciato).

O, those Italians!

"Software libero senza permesso d'autore" is a monstrous translation, and
meaningless too. To make some sense, it should have been "software libero
*da* *diritti* d'autore". And if the translator really wanted to be such a
purist, why did he use "software" in the first place? Dante Alighieri's
ghost would have been much better pleased by "componente logica libera da
diritti d'autore".

But my main concern is that the word used in Italian to mean for "the
embezzlement of ideas belonging to mankind" is actually the English
"copyright". So why shouldn't the English term for the opposite be used as
well?

_ Marco



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