Clayton Emmer has a blogpost on the news that the Podcaster at Verbum Domini, who provides a daily podcast of the lectionary readings, has been told by the USCCB, whichholds the copyrights on the New American Bible translation (used in the lectionary), to cease and desist.

This, of course, is why so many Catholic books do not use the NAB in citing Scripture. I write for one publisher – The Living Faith quarterly devotional – that utilizes the NAB. Both OSV and Loyola prefer the use of either the RSV or the NRSV – no permissions or fees required for use.

On one level, there is a reasonable rationale for this. This is the "official" version of the Bible for the Church in the US, and it is in the bishops’ best interest to have control over the use of this translation.

It is also perhaps in their best interest  – of another kind  – to have control so there is not a proliferation of liturgical materials that are printed and sold with no um…benefit to the USCCB.

Some of our readers in Catholic publishing might have more to say about this. I’m not quite sure what recourse or type of license this podcaster could seek from the USCCB to use the translation for this purpose, which of course, is totally non-profit.  All I know is that Catholic publishers, as a rule, don’t use official U.S. Catholic translation of Scripture because of the hassle and expense of getting permissions. (an interesting unintended consequence. But given the quality of the translation…perhaps a good unintended consequence?) It would be more understandable (if not totally) if, say the USCCB Office of Communications had their own podcasts of the daily readings which they were distributing free of charge as a means of evangelization.

Which, of course, they’re not.

Later:

There is no secret about permissions policies to use various Bible translations (which, in answer to a commentor, are all copyrighted, of course.) The issues is that the NAB permissions policy is much narrower than most others.

You can read it here. Any use of any segment of the translation, no matter how brief, must be approved.

Here’s the permissions policy for the NRSV, by contrast. You can use up to 500 verses without permission, providing that the Scripture content does not comprise an entire book or more than 50% of the entire work in which it is quoted. The NIV guidelines are similar.

So you see the sticking point that makes it much more of a hassle is having to get USCCB permission for even quoting one stickin’ verse. Sure, it’s pro forma, but in the context of a business with a million details to tend to, one less is…one less.

Update:

Commentor Rick points out the ultimate irony below: Even the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (published by the USCCB) uses the RSV and NRSV, not the NAB, for Scriptural citations. That’s pretty funny, although I’m wondering if the reason is that a "new" NAB translation has been in the works for ages, with word every six months that it’s coming soon, really soon…so it was thought best not to saddle the CCC with Scripture quotes from a soon to be obsolete translation..