Re:1-byte docs commit? Not without a CLA
by ars on Thursday July 21, 2016 @07:16PM
(#12140713)
That byte is not copyrightable, it's as simple as that.
It follows the rules on what is copyrightable.
So mechanical changes (for example reformatting text), that involve no creativity are not copyrightable and IMO would not need a CLA even if they were very extensive.
On the other hand a single line with complicated and creative code would.
Like all things human it's subjective, there is no bright line but courts have definitely dealt with this issue (often in the context of plagiarism of musical passages).
It follows the rules on what is copyrightable.
So mechanical changes (for example reformatting text), that involve no creativity are not copyrightable and IMO would not need a CLA even if they were very extensive.
On the other hand a single line with complicated and creative code would.
Like all things human it's subjective, there is no bright line but courts have definitely dealt with this issue (often in the context of plagiarism of musical passages).