Who Owns The Bible Copyright
The Bible is the most popular book in the world, with over 5 billion copies sold. But when it comes to copyright, things get a bit complicated.
If you’re wondering who owns the rights to the Bible, read on for a deep dive into this complex question.
If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: Zondervan, the largest Christian publisher in the world owns the copyrights.
Major Bible Publishers Own Popular Translations
Zondervan owns the NIV translation
Zondervan is a major Christian publisher located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that has published the New International Version (NIV) Bible translation since its initial release in 1978.
The Committee on Bible Translation oversees the NIV translation, but Zondervan owns the copyright to the translation and distributes over 2 million NIV Bibles per year.
It has become one of the most popular modern English Bible translations.
Crossway owns the ESV translation
Crossway is a not-for-profit Christian publisher based in Wheaton, Illinois that publishes the popular English Standard Version (ESV) Bible, first released in 2001.
The ESV is now one of the most popular word-for-word Bible translations.
HarperCollins owns the NLT translation
HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. is one of the leading publishers of Christian books and Bibles.
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, HarperCollins owns the copyright to the New Living Translation (NLT) Bible after they purchased the publisher Tyndale House in 2012.
With over 150 million copies sold, the easy-to-read thought-for-thought NLT translation is one of HarperCollins’ most popular assets.
What Parts of the Bible Are Copyrighted
Study notes and commentary can be copyrighted
The actual text of the Bible is not under copyright, as it is considered public domain material. However, study Bibles often contain supplementary content written by modern scholars and theologians which can be copyrighted. This includes:
- Introductions to each book of the Bible
- Footnotes and commentary
- Book introductions and outlines
- Maps and charts
- Indexes and concordances
For example, the NIV Study Bible published by Zondervan contains the text of the New International Version translation, which is not under copyright, along with over 20,000 study notes written by scholars.
The notes and supplementary materials can be copyrighted and reproduced only with permission.
Popular study Bibles like the Life Application Bible, the Archaeological Study Bible, and the Reformation Study Bible contain copyrighted notes authored by modern Bible teachers.
Supplementary materials may also be protected
In addition to notes, many Bibles contain extra materials and teaching aids that can be covered by copyright. These include:
- Book introductions
- Charts and graphs
- Timelines
- Character sketches
- Subject indexes
- Cross-references
- Concordances
- Glossaries
- Dictionary
For example, the NLT Study Bible from Tyndale House contains over 25,000 study notes and hundreds of other supplementary materials authored by scholars. All of these added materials can be protected by copyright.
However, copyright does not extend to facts, historical information, or short phrases and definitions.
Conclusion
While no single publisher owns the rights to the full Bible, copyright law still impacts certain versions and ancillary content related to Scripture. The core text remains freely available thanks to its ancient origins in the public domain.
However, specific translations, study materials and other supplementary content can still be protected under modern copyright law.
