Copyright on the Bible

[McCulloch]

Bible Gateway is a great place to get quotes from the Bible. Various versions have copyright restrictions.

The King James Version and American Standard Version are in the public domain in the United States; you may copy and quote from them without restriction.

[row][url=http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=47&lang=2#copy]English Standard Version[/url][col]The "ESV"; and "English Standard Version" are trademarks of Good News Publishers. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Good News Publishers. When quotations from the ESV text are used in non-saleable media, such as church bulletins, orders of service, posters, transparencies, or similar media, a complete copyright notice is not required, but the initials (ESV) must appear at the end of the quotation. [row][url=http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=31&lang=2#copy]New International Version[/url][col]The NIV text may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio), up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, providing the verses do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted. When the NIV is quoted in works that exercise the above fair use clause, notice of copyright must appear on the title or copyright page or opening screen of the work (whichever is appropriate) as follows: Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society. These Scriptures have been made available on the Internet for your personal use only. Any other use including, but not limited to, copying or re-posting the Scripture on the Internet is prohibited. These Scriptures may not be altered or modified in any form but must remain in their original context. These Scriptures may not be sold or otherwise offered for sale--to include online banner ads that encapsulate linkages to these Scriptures for the purpose of selling online ad space. These Scriptures are free for all online use. These Scriptures are not public domain. These Scriptures are not shareware and may not be duplicated. [row][url=http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=49&lang=2#copy]New American Standard Bible[/url][col]The text of the New American Standard Bible® may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of The Lockman Foundation, providing the verses do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for more than 25% of the total work in which they are quoted.[row][url=http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=50&lang=2#copy]New King James Version[/url][col]The text of the New King James Version® (NKJV®) may be quoted or reprinted without prior written permission with the following qualifications:[list=1][*]Up to and including 1,000 verses may be quoted in printed form as long as the verses quoted amount to less than 50% of a complete book of the Bible and make up less than 50% of the total work in which they are quoted;[*] all NKJV quotations must conform accurately to the NKJV text.[/list]Any use of the NKJV text must include a proper acknowledgment as follows: "Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved." However, when quotations from the NKJV text are used in church bulletins, orders of service, Sunday School lessons, church newsletters and similar works in the course of religious instruction or services at a place of worship or other religious assembly, the following notice may be used at the end of each quotation: "NKJV."