Contemporary English Version
Is something happening to the CEV, specifically the CEV UK version? It has been my personal favourite over recent years and I used to access it online via the Bible Society as here https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/explore-the-bible/read/eng/GNB/Matt/1/.
However, it is no longer available on their website. I wrote to ask them why and was told that ‘their licence had expired’ which begs lots of questions.
Here are some possible reasons that occurred to me:
* cost of licence
* licence conditions no longer acceptable
* policy to promote GNB in preference
* some theological disagreement with translation style preferences (eg inclusive language) in the CEV that were previously acceptable but now are not
* potential doctrinal unacceptability of future revisions of CEV
There can't be that much wrong with the CEV as they are still selling printed copies. I’ve written to them for more clarification but await a reply.
I know the CEV is available on other online platforms, but I particularly wanted to use and support the Bible Society as it is British and not covered in adverts.
Anybody have any insight on this please?
However, it is no longer available on their website. I wrote to ask them why and was told that ‘their licence had expired’ which begs lots of questions.
Here are some possible reasons that occurred to me:
* cost of licence
* licence conditions no longer acceptable
* policy to promote GNB in preference
* some theological disagreement with translation style preferences (eg inclusive language) in the CEV that were previously acceptable but now are not
* potential doctrinal unacceptability of future revisions of CEV
There can't be that much wrong with the CEV as they are still selling printed copies. I’ve written to them for more clarification but await a reply.
I know the CEV is available on other online platforms, but I particularly wanted to use and support the Bible Society as it is British and not covered in adverts.
Anybody have any insight on this please?
Comments
In other words, blame it on the Americans.
That's a different translation?
As I understand it, the GNB is more preferred in GB than the CEV. Seems like the BFBS is opting for the more popular translation in GB. When funds are limited, choices have to be made, I think.
One thing going for the GNB is that the reading level is more year 7 level. CEV level is more year 5 level.
It may be that the British and Foreign Bible Society holds (or held) a license from the American Bible Society to produce (and hold copyright for) the Anglicized CEV. That may have been what was meant by “their license had expired.”
Even for the anglicised edition used in the UK — often called CEVUK or CEV (British Edition) — the copyright does not transfer to the British & Foreign Bible Society (BFBS).
BFBS helped produce and distribute the UK edition in the 1990s, but:
ABS retained full copyright
ABS controls licensing
ABS is the legal rights holder for all CEV editions worldwide
The anglicised CEV is considered a derivative edition of the original CEV text.
Under international copyright law (Berne Convention), derivative editions do not create new copyright ownership unless explicitly transferred — and ABS never transferred it.]
The CEVUK edition still says the copyright is held by ABS
This has shone a spotlight on how many of our English Bible versions have their copyright controlled by American organisations. I can find only these British-owned versions:
The Bible Society's notes about the Good News Bible serve as a illustrative warning
I don't like the idea that was are potentially vulnerable to commercially unreliable foreign control of availability.
Is it time to make sure we have British Bibles for British people?
Well, there is one, it's the Revised English Bible -- and I suspect any push to create another one would be much more sectarian.
I think the question is moot since the British Bible Society has replied to @Hotlips query: " Our licence to host the CEV on our website has expired, which meant we had to remove it from the site. We are currently reviewing our licences. "
BTW @Hotlips regards the KJV: This has long been in the public domain. I don't even think copyright laws were even around when it came out.
As a general principle, though, that is de facto unenforceable anywhere else, and under the various different copyright regimes in other legal jurisdictions it is out of copyright.
As you probably know copyright regimes vary from country to country both as to duration and what one can have copyright in. Usually, though, even where one jurisdiction recognises another jurisdiction's copyrights it will not do so in circumstances where copyright would either have expired or never existed if the item had been first published in its own jurisdiction. As you will also probably know, in most of the rest of the world copyright is 'the life of the writer + x years from death'. I understand, though, that in the USA it is usually a fixed period from date of first publication. I think it also might have to be registered in some way. So things can emerge from copyright in other countries while they are still in copyright where they first appeared, particularly since the 'x years' also varies from country to country.
And so with versions of the Bible where the copyright is held by American organisations, the CEV being a current case in point. A commercial / legal 'kill switch' has instantly made it unavailable via the Bible Society's website.
My eyesight is poor and I need to read enlarged text on a screen. I shall have to lobby for electronic copies of the REB. I can feel a letter to the Church Times coming on.
British
KJV - King James Version - The Crown (via Royal Letters Patent)
NEB - New English Bible - Oxford & Cambridge University Presses
REB - Revised English Bible - Oxford & Cambridge University Presses
American
ESV - English Standard Version - Crossway (Good News Publishers)
CEV - Contemporary English Version - American Bible Society
GNT/GNB - Good News Translation / Good News Version - American Bible Society
NIV - New International Version - Biblica (formerly International Bible Society)
NLT - New Living Translation NLT Tyndale House Publishers
NKJV - New King James Version - Thomas Nelson (HarperCollins)
NRSV - New Revised Standard Version- National Council of Churches (NCC)
RSV - Revised Standard Version - National Council of Churches (NCC)
What?!?! I'm a huge fan of the NRSV and very disappointed to see that!
Seeing it corroborated here, this calls for more research...
Ah. This looks more informative. Looks like an update?
The new translation of the RC Lectionary for the UK uses a translation of the psalms controlled by the US Conference of bishops. And the bible is the ESV, copyright Crossway, again in the USA.
This is a change from the Jerusalem Bible and the Grail psalms, both British based.
As a composer I have to acknowledge copyright if I publish or even share free of charge. My thoughts on this are fairly unprintable given the present circumstances.
The UK RC Lectionary using the ESV and a USCB-controlled translation of the Psalms is *crazy* to me and I echo your unprintable thoughts. What does your parish priest think about this?? I hope you have written some strongly-worded feedback to whoever in the UK RCC makes these decisions.
There is a lot of anger among musicians, expressed on-line, by email and in person. Our compositions have to be submitted to a panel if we wish to share them outside our parish. This panel checks that we have stuck to the translation down to the level of punctuation. It's soul-destroying. I have given up on the process and have stopped making my stuff widely available.
The decision to go for these translations is down to a couple of Bishops who have since retired.
* In the U.S., generally speaking, if it's produced for pay, it is "work for hire" and the copyright belongs to the employer (you) unless the two of you contract otherwise. If it's done as a favor, I think the copyright remains with the translator, who has every right and ability to grant you free use of it. Though given the existing difficulties you're already running into, I'd get everything in writing for the sake of avoiding future problems.
We used to have a choice of two translations, the RSV for a more accurate/elevated translation, or the JB for a more contemporary version (and more suited to public proclamation.)
Has it changed much recently? It used to be that insofar that the ESV was both original and good, the original bits were all down to being relatively minor revision of the RSV.
And in any event, even if “artistic license” might otherwise be available, it is irrelevant in a context where a church has the authority to say and does in fact say “only approved texts may be used.” There is no freedom in such circumstances to deviate from the approved text.