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An Essay By Liz Colado

Who owns prayer?  Anybody? 

It recently came to my attention that a prayer may have a copyright on it, even if its creator has passed on.  How could that be?  Is this a form of modern-day legalistic ownership?

Take for example, wrLord's Prayer in Greek in the Pater Noster Chapel in Jerusalem; Photo Credit: Brams--Wikipediaitten prayer which has been published.  The Book of Common Prayer is reproduced freely, except in the United Kingdom. There, the British Crown holds the rights to the Book, where statute law defines the rights.

"Since the 19th Century copyright is described under the umbrella term intellectual property along with patents and trademarks.  Copyright has been internationally standardized, lasting between fifty and one hundred years from the author's death, or a shorter period for anonymous or corporate authorship. Generally, copyright is enforced as a civil matter, though some jurisdictions do apply criminal sanctions." (1)

If someone has the rights to a prayer, does that mean that those words are not my own if I use them in prayer? (Are my thoughts and mind then not my own either?  And is my relationship to my Creator possessed by another as well?)

Jesus said to go into your room and pray in secret. (Matt 6:6) Why?  Because the prayer is stealing someone else’s words?  Obviously not, but private prayer versus that of addressing God in public is considered proper and holy.

Jesus also prayed a special prayer, so much so, that it is recognized worldwide:

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. (Matt 6: 9-13)

True, these are the words of Jesus, translated into English, but does he own the copyright?  The answer is “No.”  He gave the message, “In this manner, therefore, pray:” (Matt 6:9)  Wikipedia might say that the copyright would be expired and therefore the prayer is now in the public domain.  But when we are instructed to pray in such a manner, we are being given the words as a gift.  A gift of language for the spiritual connection between Creator and creation.

Prayer involves language of some sort, whether spoken, thought, or even written. Each person is a unique piece of creation, and this is reflected spiritually, physically and mentally.  As a prayer is given, the thought, emotion, and feeling behind it are different from the next person’s, even if the same words are used. 

If I pray the prayer of Jesus, do I become Jesus?  No, certainly not.  The prayer is simply a reflection of the individual soul. 

And what about the others?  Mary Baker Eddy, Brigham Young, John Wesley, and so many more….If the giving away of prayer was good enough for Jesus, isn’t it good enough for these contemporary modern leaders?  Is their prayer better than Jesus’?

Prayer, even the prayer of Jesus, is for anyone.  It is the natural outreach of the human back to his Creator. Your prayers are your own.  Speak them. Sing them. Think them. And even write them down—for this is a lost art.

But all are requests or praise directed to God.  If anyone owns the prayer then, it’s God, for He is the final recipient.

1) Brad, Sherman; Lionel Bently (1999). The making of modern intellectual property law: the British experience, 1760-1911. Cambridge University Press. pp. 207. ISBN 9780521563635. http://www.google.com/books?id=u2aMRA-eF1gC&dq=statute+of+anne+copyright&lr=&as_brr=3&source=gbs_navlinks_s.

Liz Colado, essayist and poet, resides in the United States.  A poet since childhood, her poems reflect the images and premonitions of her subconscious dreams.  The writing of poetry has been her escape to a world apart, a dimension of other, a reality considered.  The meaning of poetry has helped center her all of her life.  She is also the main character of a life exposed, written by an anonymous author.  Read the poetry of Liz Colado and consider the interior of her mind to be the discovery of a personal dream journal on the edge. The author publishes exclusively at Basil & Spice. Visit Liz Colado's Writer's Page.

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Why Protecting Intellectual Property Rights Are Important

Why Protecting Intellectual Property Rights are Important
for Creating Wealth

Prepared By: Tony Lyall

Why Protecting Intellectual Property Rights are Important for Creating Wealth

What is intellectual property?   The World Intellectual Property Organization defines intellectual property as the “creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images and designs used in commerce” (WIPO).   If a country wants to create wealth it must provide opportunities for its citizens to protect their intellectual creations from thief, otherwise there is no incentive for people to be inventive, creative or to produce new ideas, products or services and bring them to market.   Without newly created goods and services the market for exchange would soon dry up and the opportunities for creating new wealth would as well.
It is important to the creator of intellectual property that he be allowed the opportunity to profit from his work.   Commonly intellectual property is protected by the use of copyrights, trademarks, servicemarks, patents, industrial designs and trade secrets.   A “copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of “original works or authorship” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works both published and unpublished”.   A “trademark is a word, name, symbol or device which is used in trade with goods to indicate the source of the goods and to distinguish them from the goods of others”.   A “servicemark is the same as a trademark except it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product.”   A “patent for an inventor is the grant of a property right to the inventor” (USPTO).   Trade secrets are formulas, processes, services or similar things that give companies a competitive advantage over their competition, for example the formula for Coca-Cola or Kentucky Fried Chicken’s eleven herbs and spices recipe.   Industrial designs are the designs for...