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From: papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga animations on VHS now available
Message-ID: <24885@usc.edu>
Date: 25 May 90 08:56:06 GMT
References: <1074.264fd03a@dayton.saic.com> <4710016@hpfcdq.HP.COM> <20234@estelle.udel.EDU>
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Darren, as usual you give out a lot of misinformation.

In article <20234@estelle.udel.EDU> new@ee.udel.edu (Darren New) writes:
>If it is on a dealer's disk without a copyright, at least
>in this country up to a short time ago and maybe even now,
					    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>it was public domain.  

Since March of 1989 there is NO requirement for a copyright notice to
maintain copyright.

>You published it without a copyright
>and hence you made it PD.  (Nowadays, you may need to 
>put an explicit "this is PD" depending on exactly what
>the Berne convention says.

You're confused :-)  You published without a copyrigth notice --> this does
NOT make it public domain.  Read the Berne Convention.

>I know a patent lawyer; I'll
>ask him.)

A patent lawyer is not the same as a copyright lawyer.  The two things
(copyrights and patents) are QUITE different.  You mix apple and oranges.

>This does not need to be hashed out on USENET...
>It's already been hashed out by the lawyers, courts, etc.

What we don't need is the kind of misinformation you give out.  If you know
your stuff, say it. If you don't, ask your lawyer and then say it. Otherwise,
you look like a dork :-)

-- Marco
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"Xerox sues somebody for copying?" -- David Letterman
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