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From: brnstnd@stealth.acf.nyu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Europe's attempt to copyright interfaces is insane
Message-ID: <4345:Apr1501:05:5090@stealth.acf.nyu.edu>
Date: 15 Apr 90 01:05:50 GMT
References: <1093@goofy.UUCP> <14867@s.ms.uky.edu> <1990Apr8.003410.9841@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu> <4469@stpstn.UUCP> <1NT2K:Exds13@ficc.uu.net> <2536:Apr1302:34:2890@stealth.acf.nyu.edu> <23717.26243e7e@vaxb.acs.unt.edu>
Reply-To: brnstnd@stealth.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein)
Distribution: usa
Organization: IR
Lines: 21

In article <23717.26243e7e@vaxb.acs.unt.edu> ac08@vaxb.acs.unt.edu writes:
> In article <2536:Apr1302:34:2890@stealth.acf.nyu.edu>, brnstnd@stealth.acf.nyu.edu writes:
> > In article <1NT2K:Exds13@ficc.uu.net> peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
> >   [ in reference to the European Community's proposed Copyright Directive ]
> > > The ability to copyright program interfaces to packages takes the already
> > > dubious "look-n-feel" copyrights to a new and absurd height.
> > That's an understatement.
> > For thousands of years ideas have been free. Now AT&T will be able to
    [ I proceed to theorize about the effects of Europe's proposed law ]
> > This frightens me.
> Just in case you haven't heard (How could you NOT hear?)---
  [ Chad proceeds to let me know what really happened ]
> Try to keep up on your news reading, OK?

I'm aware of the Apple and Xerox decisions, the lack of a copyright on
the UNIX interface, and the presence of steering wheels on new cars. I
was pointing out how all those reasonable events would go haywire if
something like the proposed European Copyright Directive were around.
Try to observe the tone of articles you read, OK?

---Dan