Translations of the Bible NOT Under Copyright...

I am a writer, so this information is practical for me and should be used only as a starting point for those who want to know more. This is part 2 of a series on Bible translations and copyright. Here is Part 1, Did You Know Your Bible is Under Copyright?

To begin: the Bible in the original languages isn't under copyright, but the translations often are. So the discussion of the versions is actually one of translations and editions of those translations. Over the years, a great many people and companies have set about making translations into many different languages. Currently, the most well-known translations are in varying forms of English, and among those, the most famous is probably the King James Version (KJV). In Part 1 (link above), I shared the basic copyright information for the 1611 KJV held by the British Crown in perpetuity. It's a bit of a stand-alone, certainly, and usually comes as a surprise to people that the copyright is still in effect.

The copyright DOES exist, certainly--but to what extent? To begin, that copyright is held in the UK. If you're working, writing, doing projects, running a non-profit, or selling anything in the UK, you would be held to those copyrights. But what about other countries--like the US? Does it matter that we follow the UK copyright here?

It's a tricky question, but most sources tell us that the KJV is actually public domain everywhere except the UK. "...today we can't freely reprint, circulate passages, write commentaries and draw upon the text in the way we might with other texts of the time, such as Shakespeare's plays. Bizarrely, these restrictions only apply in the UK. Gove could make a gift of the King James Bible to every UK citizen – with a simple legal change to revoke its perpetual copyright." ~Jim Killock; Executive director, Open Rights Group [based in the UK]

But it's also worth pointing out that translations are never free. Someone will always be paying for it. If you're a non-profit, that doesn't mean you don't still have to pay for equipment and man-hours. If you rely on donations, your donors are paying. The question here is really, what translations can be used, without limit, for ANY project, even if intended for sale? For example, if someone wants to make and sell greeting cards with artistically designed verses, what versions can they use? What translations could I reprint without paying copyright to an owner?

World English Bible (WEB)

This Bible is the most modern, having been finished in only the year 2000.

"You may publish the whole World English Bible in book form, bind it in leather and sell it. You may incorporate it into your Bible study software. You may make and distribute audio recordings of it. You may broadcast it. All you have to do is maintain the integrity of God’s Word before God, and reserve the name “World English Bible” for faithful copies of this translation."

And if you want to know more about it, try the whole preface: https://ebible.org/web/FRT01.htm

The American Standard Version (ASV) is much less complicated. Its copyright is expired, having been first published in 1901. Robert Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) was published in 1862, so is also public domain. Similarly is Webster’s Bible, published in 1833.

So even if we can access entire versions online, that doesn't mean they aren't under copyright. Biblegateway may have a vast database, but just like a great many things online, that doesn't mean they are free. "Most of the Bibles on Bible Gateway are not in the public domain, although some are. Complete copyright information for each Bible version can be found on that Bible's Version Information page, which you can reach by clicking on its name on this page. A condensed copyright notice is also located at the bottom of any Bible passage page on Bible Gateway."

To read more: https://support.biblegateway.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001403507-What-Bibles-on-Bible-Gateway-are-in-the-public-domain-

Four more public domain translations that I'll let you look up for yourself, and which you can easily find on Biblegateway and other places: Darby Translation (DARBY), Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA), Reina-Valera Antigua (RVA) , and the Biblia Sacra Vulgata (VULGATE).

These serve the point: you CAN find completely free versions, and easily. You are then left to choose whether you prefer one or more for linguistic or academic reasons.

Happy fair use.