This will undoubtedly annoy a few, but there's something I can't really remember from my copyright classes in law school, and I'm hoping some of the attorneys here might recall the answer.

A lot of folks here are referrring to their copyright in their scans of chips. I'm wondering if they really have one. A scan of a chip is an unauthorized derivative work, which violates the copyright of the artist who designed the chip. Thus, I am not certain if such a derivative work is deserving, legally speaking, of copyright protection.

Don't get me wrong people, I'm not endorsing stealing anyone else's scans. This is a PURELY legal question which I am posing just beause it's aggravating me that I can't remember the answer.