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From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: The OSF is *what*?
Message-ID: <38296@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 16 Sep 89 19:04:32 GMT
References: <8909130635.AA29672@Larry.McRCIM.McGill.EDU> <3681@itivax.iti.org>
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 36


>Mouse, while I sympathise with your outrage it is misdirected.  The
>legal system has been twisted to the point that *any* undefended abrogation
>of copyright is grist for some *ssh*le to try and lever the whole thing
>into non-copywritten status.  OSF is doing what is *has* to in order to
>defend their copyright.  The original poster notes that OSF is being
>very circumspect and apologetic about it, and he does not seem particularly
>offended.

What's really looney-tunes is that I know *I* wouldn't want to be in
court defending a copyright on the basis that I have warned all
potential violators when it's public knowledge that I sent those
warnings out with a big wink of the eye that the sword I'm rattling is
made of rubber (all other metaphors void where prohibited by law)!

If the OSF wanted to do something truly constructive for their members
and the rest of the world they'd be funding a bunch of legal types and
lobbyists to undo the current rat's nest which hovers around copyright
etc. issues. Hopefully in a productive way. The current legal status
is nothing more (or less) than a full employment act for lawyers.

What good is producing software if no one can agree on what
constitutes ownership, safe "free" distribution, etc.?

It's like farming land you might be trespassing on or have no rights
to harvest from.

Whacko stuff.

-- 
	-Barry Shein

Software Tool & Die, Purveyors to the Trade
1330 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02146, (617) 739-0202
Internet: bzs@skuld.std.com
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