Can Bin Laden Claim Copyright Infringement?

Slate's Explainer explorers whether Doubleday is violating Osama bin Laden's copyrights by publishing a compilation of translated writings by Bin Laden. Osama, Call Your Agent!

Doubleday, an American publishing house owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG, is planning to release The Al Qaeda Reader in 2006. The book will consist primarily of translated writings by Osama Bin Laden and Egyptian Jihad founder Ayman al-Zawahiri, along with a smattering of other jihadist statements. Is Doubleday violating Bin Laden's copyright?

Joe Gratz takes a look at the practical implications: UBL’s Copyright Infringed?: "But Doubleday could say just about anything they wanted to about their legal justifications for publishing bin Laden and al-Zawahiri’s works, since they’ll never be sued for copyright infringement. It’s obvious that the authors themselves wouldn’t appear in court to sue Doubleday, since they’re all subjects of an international manhunt."