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From: shadow@pawl.rpi.edu (Deven T. Corzine)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: PD or Shareware Copyrights
Message-ID: <SHADOW.89Jun26013653@daniel.pawl.rpi.edu>
Date: 26 Jun 89 05:36:53 GMT
References: <18195@louie.udel.EDU> <18280@louie.udel.EDU> <SHADOW.89Jun22164310@daniel.pawl.rpi.edu> <18366@louie.udel.EDU>
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Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
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In-reply-to: new@udel.EDU's message of 23 Jun 89 17:30:51 GMT

In article <18366@louie.udel.EDU> new@udel.EDU (Darren New) writes:
>In article <SHADOW.89Jun22164310@daniel.pawl.rpi.edu> shadow@pawl.rpi.edu (Deven T. Corzine) writes:
>>In article <18280@louie.udel.EDU> new@udel.EDU (Darren New) writes:
>>>If you say Public Domain then anyone can do anything they like with
>>>it.
>>This means ANYTHING, folks...  like adding a COMMENT "Copyright 1989
>>Sid Sleaze" which they can then legally enforce. 

>Actually, since a copyright has to be applied to "a work of original
>authorship" I don't think that this is correct.

I'm not sure, but I think it's still possible.  Specifically, the
copyright would be solely on the notice of copyright (the comment) as
it is the only change from the PD program...  but I believe it covers
the entire derived work anyhow.

>However, it is possible to (say) Amiga-ize something PD like EMACS
>and then copyright the derivative work.

Bzzt.  Wrong answer, thank you for playing anyway.  Emacs is NOT PD.
Emacs is a product of the GNU effort by the Free Software Foundation,
and is "copylefted."  Specifically, it is covered by a very specific
copyright and liscence which allows you to freely redistribute, use
and modify the code provided you do not attempt to further restrict
distribution or usage.  This INCLUDES derived works.  Now, whether
Amiga versions of MicroEmacs or MG are technically "derived works" of
GNU Emacs, I can't say for sure, but I would expect that they are.
Even if NO code overlaps, I suspect that they are at least reverse-
engineered from GNU Emacs is sufficient to consider them derived
works.  Regardless, "something PD like EMACS" is a false statement.

So there.  :-)

>>>In other words, saying "This is Public Domain except that you can't
>>>sell it for money" is oxymoronic.
>>Just plain moronic.
>How about "uninformed"?   Not everyone that is uninformed is moronic...

True, but then there's always the "ignorance of the law is no excuse"
argument...  (which I suppose is even appropriate in context)

Deven
--
shadow@[128.113.10.2]   <shadow@pawl.rpi.edu> Deven T. Corzine (518) 272-5847
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