Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!kddlab!trl!rdmei!ptimtc!olivea!apple!agate!shelby!msi.umn.edu!noc.MR.NET!gacvx2.gac.edu!hhdist From: peraino@gmuvax.gmu.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT Message-ID: Date: 30 Nov 90 14:14:00 GMT Lines: 68 >From: edu%"handhelds@gac.edu" 30-NOV-1990 00:27:25.84 >To: HANDHELDS@gacvx2.gac.edu >Subj: COPYRIGHT -- WHY?? Lines: 66 >COPYRIGHT -- WHY?? > >I am constantly amazed at all the large, "professional-looking" copyright messag > es that people put in their postings of relatively small programs. > >I simply cannot see the reason for this. Do you seriously beleive that someone m > ight publish your program someday and pay you It's a matter of protection, not payment, in this case. >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 persue it. I believe that in this country, copyright law states that something can be considered copyrighted provided it spells out "COPYRIGHT" or displays the small 'c' with a circle around it. >Many postings also have a passus that, in essence, says "Don't blame me if somet > hing bad happens when you use my programs". The interesting thing is that thi > s also is written in MANY more words, in a professional style. Better to err on the side of caution, wouldn't you say? What harm does a disclaimer do? >Is there really a need for the extensive type of disclaimers that people often u > se? Why are they used? For protection. I can only speak for myself, but many people probably have the same philosophy; I don't want someone blaming me if something I wrote trashed their machine; especially if the software is free. >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". Of course it > might be nice for the author to receive such requests from everywhere, but is t > his really necessary? It let's the author know where his/her work is going, if nothing else. Also, it gives the author the chance to refuse, if he/she thinks that the software will be used in a profit-making venture. >Now please note that I am NOT questioning the right to have a large program or o >ther contribution copyrighted. With large I mean like SASS, KERMIT and Alonzo >'s internals texts. The type of thing I am questioning is copyrighting progra >ms like my own TETRIS The term 'large' is relative; TETRIS is a 'large' program, for the 48. But size isn't important. I believe in credit where credit is due. If I use someone's program or algorithm in something else I am writing, I believe in giving credit for that program/algorithm. >Erik Bryntse / SHPRF (Svenska HP-raknarforeningen) > >erikmb@cd.chalmers.se peraino@gmuvax.gmu.edu