Does Deuteronomy 17:18 prevent bible translation copyright Many modern bible translations are published with copyright claims. However published in the work is not only permission but a command to make a copy. This can be found in.

Deuteronomy 17:18


  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that
  he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is
  before the priests the Levites:


You might argue that this only applies to Kings. However Revelation 5:10 makes us all kings:


  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on
  the earth.


It seems to me that if the translators wanted to copyright their translations they would have to leave Deuteronomy 17:18 out. However they all include it and it appears at least on face value to superseded their copyright notice.

Is this a valid legal argument? Has this has ever been tested in a court of law? And if so what was the outcome?
It's an invalid legal argument and would fail if tested.

Copyright subsists in the arrangement of the words themselves within the literary work. The licence to copy is separate from the literary work.

Quite apart from copyright law, Dt 17:18 needs to read in context.


  17 14 "When you come to the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and dwell in it, and then say, 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me'; 15 you may indeed set as king over you him whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not multiply horses for himself, or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never return that way again.' 17 And he shall not multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply for himself silver and gold. 18 "And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, from that which is in the charge of the Levitical priests..."


Note verse 15: "One from among your brethren you shall set as king over you." Even if that verse could be adduced to licence making copies, it would only apply to the king elected to rule over the people. It couldn't apply to everyone who was made a king by virtue of Revelation 5:10.