Technical Principles of Copying

In the Analog Realm

Reproduction in the analog realm involves a representational mimicry of the original intellectual property and/or its embodiment in some analogous medium, where "dimensions" of the original are translated into analogous "dimensions" in some other medium.

Resolution of that representation is a key element in the quality of the mimicry and usually is limited by the resolution afforded by the analog medium used. At the present time, analog "windows" of resolution are not usually significantly greater than the windows needed to carry the representation of the intellectual property (i.e., the spectrum available to the color photographer does not exceed the visible color spectrum, nor does the range of light intensities exceed the range of intensities to which humans are sensitive).

Text

Text is a message in a publicly known code, using publicly known symbols. The text itself is considered the intellectual property, and its representation in an analog realm is irrelevant. Therefore, it may be viewed as having properties that are the same in both analog and digital realms.

Representations

Paintings
The painting is embodied in an "original" work. Copies usually fall under the heading of photography. Such copies do not possess the equivalent value of the original, and may be considered to be distinct from the original.

Sculpture
The sculpture is embodied in an "original" work. Copies are either photographs or castings. Both the latter and the former do not possess the equivalent value of the original, and may be considered to be distinct from the original, although the casting may accurately enough mimic the original to assume some of its value. However, one must possess both the original (and presumably its copyright) and substantial technology to accomplish this.

Photography
The original photograph may be easily reproduced, and various prints may all be considered to be the "original." Limitation in reproduction is the limitation of resolution of the analog medium.

Film
Film is equivalent to photography, except that film may be thought of as a set or sequence of photographs where the sequence itself is also the embodiment of the intellectual property, so that the juxtaposition in time of the photographs is as much a part of the intellectual property as the images on the photographs themselves are. Various prints may all be considered to be the "original." Limitation in reproduction is the limitation of resolution of the analog medium.

Music

Composition
Music compositions are equivalent to text. They are a set of detailed instructions to music performers, in a publicly known code. Limitations in reproduction are an issue of editing only.

Performance
Performance of a work of music is a unique, one-time, non-reproducible act. Performance of a music composition (not the only possible kind of music performance, incidentally) is predicated upon access to that (published) composition, and royalties for use of that composition are both due and assessed.

Recording
Recording is the fixation of the observed sounds of a performance into some analogous physical medium, or simply the fixation of newly created sounds into the analogous medium.

Resolution is strictly limited by the selected medium, and is generally poorer than the resolution of our hearing sense. Various copies of the "original" recording may be considered approximately equivalent in value to the original recording.