In thanks for all her work on his current research, Prof. Jones gives his graduate student Leslie the notes he wrote about his last research project. Jones said to Leslie, “These notes are yours to keep.” Needing money to complete her education, Leslie decides to arrange with a book publisher to publish Jones’s notes. Jones is a very famous scientist. A book reprinting Jones’s notes likely would sell well. Do Leslie and the book publisher have the right to publish Jones’s notes?

What will be an ideal response?

Leslie does not have the right to publish Jones’s notes. The notes are original and fixed in a tangible medium. Therefore, they are protected by copyright. Publishing the notes would require copying them. Only Jones, who has the copyright on the notes, has the right to copy them. Jones did not give Leslie permission to copy the notes.