Why is the Bible copyrighted?
A question often asked but seldom answered directly.
In 2015, a U.S. news outlet reported that a photo department in Mississippi refused to process prints of Scripture verses that a woman had ordered online, explaining that they couldn’t print them due to copyright law. The woman ordering the prints, Kelly Taylor, commented, “We’re praying that Walgreens learns that the Bible doesn’t belong to anyone, it belongs to everyone.”[i] But, of course, it doesn’t. It’s common for me to hear from believers and nonbelievers alike: “I didn’t know the Bible was copyrighted. How can they do that?”
This question needs an answer, but people are really asking two questions: why is the Bible copyrighted, and why is my Bible restricted? The simple answer to the copyright question is: it is automatically copyrighted under modern secular law. Copyright didn’t come from a choice or collusion among Bible Societies. It is a function of the law.
The Bible is copyrighted automatically as a function of copyright law. The essence of copyright law is that anything an author or artist creates that is original and fixed in some form (like written or recorded) is automatically copyrighted. In simple terms, “if you create it, you own it.” Therefore, most of a person’s emails, texts, photos, videos, notes, and social media posts are automatically protected by copyright. You don't need to apply for a copyright; it exists as soon as a work is fixed in a tangible form. No modern translation of the Bible required a copyright application. They were automatically copyrighted the moment they were created.
This is due to a change in copyright law in 1909 in the U.S. that awarded translators a copyright over their translations of public domain texts. This legal shift was a significant victory for publishers, enabling them to profit from works in the public domain, and there is no record of religious leaders opposing this change. Since all Bible versions are translations from Hebrew, Greek, or other languages, the translated versions would now be considered “owned” under copyright law, even though their source texts are in the public domain. The Bible’s copyright didn’t originate from any noble purpose or biblical teaching; it resulted from changes in modern secular law.
You will find little help from Christian publishers and authors in explaining the “Why?” There are websites that claim Bible versions are copyrighted to ensure translators are fairly paid for their hard work. No, Bible versions are automatically copyrighted by law. And copyright does not guarantee that anyone gets paid. You will also hear religious leaders incorrectly say that copyright prevents bad translations. But copyright can’t do that and never has been able to. Copyright can’t and doesn’t prevent heresy. It wasn’t designed to.
So, why are most Bibles restricted? Because the owners of Bible translations intentionally chose to restrict them. Don’t confuse copyright with restrictions and the all-rights-reserved approach used by authors and publishers. No law anywhere in the world requires an author or translator to restrict their copyrighted work in any way. Authors choose to impose restrictions. Man’s ways can be peculiar at times. God’s ways are not. “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD.” [Isa 55: 8, bsb].
As we consider others’ access to our created content, consider Elihu’s approach – “Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.” [Job 34:4 niv] We certainly don’t need to rely on man’s ways when we can know God’s ways. As David asked of the Lord, “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.” [Psa 25:4 niv] Imagine what the world would be like if, in 1909, the Western church had refused to pattern itself after the ways of the world and instead made Bibles and discipleship resources available without restrictions.
Bruce Erickson © 2025
A pdf copy of this post can be found here - https://www.academia.edu/130474949/Why_is_the_Bible_copyrighted
[i] Chain cites 'copyright law' in refusing to print images of Bible verses, woman says. By Jana Winter, Fox News. Nov 21, 2015.