Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!src.honeywell.com!msi.umn.edu!noc.MR.NET!gacvx2.gac.edu!hhdist From: EBERBERS%yubgef51@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT Message-ID: Date: 2 Dec 90 08:31:34 GMT Lines: 52 To: HANDHELDS@gac.edu Return-path: <@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU:EBERBERS@yubgef51> To: HANDHELDS@gac.edu X-VMS-To: IN%gac.edu::handhelds > Is there really a need for the extensive type of disclaimers that people often u > se? Why are they used? Because there are unreasonable people out there. If Your program trashes somebodies machine and valuable data - he can sue you - and the fact that you didn't charge for the program doesn't count at all since it's lawyer can accuse you that you have produced bugged program on purpose of damaging other peoples data and in a second - you are a monster. So, would you take a chance when you know that you can simply copy the first disclaimer you come across and play safe ?? (yes - there is no copyright on disclaimer :-) and best and most secure are HP and Apple disclaimers - they obviously pay their lawyers best :-). The real problem is that huge companies always try to misuse disclaimers and same states are changing their legislation in order to prevent it but this is another subject. > Since I am active in a user group in Sweden, I often wish to publish programs th > at has copyright messages of the type "ask me first". Then I have to go throu > gh the trouble contacting the author, only to receive a "sure, go ahead and c > opy it". Having a net at your disposal this is advantage - not a trouble. Dropping someone a few lines asking such permission is 5-sec. mark-block-and-copy job and since all authors like to see that someone appreciate their work so they usually send you a new, improved and debugged version (since this is also a 5-sec. job for him) if such exist. > s, and publish the program anyway, or you print the copyright message in full. It doesn't look to nic > e to have lots of such messages all over your magazine, I can tell you! Just use 3 point letters and 10 lines will became 2-3 in a footnote :-) Or even better - put a global disclaimer for the magazine issue and you have solved all legal problems although we are not discussing real but very hypothetical problem - that an author of freeware would hire a Swedish lawyer to sue your club for publishing it's program without prior written permission. >> Or are you afraid that >> someone will "steal" your idea? Do you think that a copyright message will pr >> event this? > > In fact, it will prevent it, if you pursue it. It definitely WILL NOT! No law can prevent you from stealing somebodies IDEA . There is no copyright on idea, algorithm, data representation and stuff like tha t - just on it's implementation. There have been come attempts on enforcing copyri ght on ideas in USA but they have all failed and in Europe people consider the very idea of copyrighted idea ridiculous.