Judge Anna von Reitz
There are two kinds of copyrights— Common Law Copyrights that belong to the creators of a work and international copyrights that belong to corporations.
Yet another lie being promoted by Michael R. Hamilton— if you care enough to listen to his B.S. you can pay $30 a month for the “privilege” of joining his free country website— is that Chief Marshal Tresa “Bella” Haywood “stole” the copyright to the Continental Marshals Service logos, badges, etc., and did this for her own personal profit and he’s going to sue her and blah, blah, blah.
Well, I investigated the circumstance, and I found out that the actual designs produced were created under the direction of Bella Haywood, paid for by Bella Haywood, and copyrighted by Bella Haywood in her capacity as Chief Marshal of the Continental Marshals Service.
The Common Law Copyright belongs to her under the “work for hire” laws that allow us to own artwork that we hire others to produce– the copyright is part of what we pay for. Bella Haywood has the receipts to prove she paid for the artwork. End of that story.
The International Copyright also belongs to Bella Haywood. She paid for that, too, out of her own pocket, and in behalf of the Marshals Service. End of that story, too.
Once again, like it or not, Marshal Haywood did exactly what was needed to be done and did it for the right reasons— to secure the copyright in her capacity as Chief Marshal acting in behalf of the Continental Marshals Service.
It was her job to do and she did it, promptly, rightly, and well— with no intention of any personal profit, nor other selfish gain, real or imagined implied.
While acting in an office in behalf of an organization to secure property rights belonging to that organization it is, or it should be, self-evident that the official is not acting to serve themselves.
If I am acting as President of XYZ, Inc., and I hire an artist to develop a logo for XYZ, Inc., and I copyright that logo— do I own it? Why, yes, in my capacity as the President of XYZ, Inc., I own those copyrights in my official capacity, not my private capacity. The logo itself is property belonging to XYZ, Inc.
It’s the same way with Bella Haywood and the copyrights to the logos, badges, and other emblems that have been developed for the Continental Marshals Service. She owns those copyrights fair and square and in her official capacity.
If Michael R. Hamilton or anyone else wants to sue her over these copyrights, I will personally shove it so far down their throats it will come screaming out their other end.
Ignorance and false assumptions form the bedrock of the Teapot Tempest— all fed by hearsay and gossip and in some quarters, by racial prejudice and prejudice against women–and all to one purpose: to destroy the much-needed Continental Marshals Service.
You have to wonder why, don’t you? What’s so threatening about the Continental Marshals Service? What did we get right, eh?
Marshal Haywood is one of the most competent people I have met on the Patriot side of the issues. She didn’t have to be told that Continental Marshals are federal-level officers. Ya think?
That in itself gives her a hundred points more than her detractors.
She knew that the logos and badges and emblems of the marshals had to be copyrighted and that she was the one responsible for doing it. And lo, and behold—- she did it! Without being told!
Glory Hallelujah!
In my view—-score another 100 points for Marshal Bella Haywood. And a great big fat zero for those who are gossiping behind her back and making threats against her and trying to impede the progress of the Continental Marshals Service.