The contents of the Ship Logs are considered to be a
"compilation" under the provisions of Title 17, U.S. Code (known as
the Copyright Act): that is, "A work formed by the collection and
assembling of preexisting materials or of data that is selected, coordinated or
arranged in such a way that the resulting work as a whole constitutes an
original work of authorship." As such, it is the property of the ship’s
Captain; however, automatic transfer of ownership to STARSHIPS OF THE THIRD
FLEET is
effected upon publication of this mission by the ship’s Captain ipso facto.
As outlined in Circular 1 (Copyrighted Basics, Library
of Congress, Washington DC, USGPO 1989-262-309/12), "copyrighted in each
separate contribution to a periodical or other collective work is distinct from
the copyright in the collective work as a whole and vests initially with the
author of the contribution."
This mission may not be reproduced in any form without
the express, written authorization of STARSHIPS OF THE THIRD FLEET.
