Xref: utzoo comp.unix.admin:2284 comp.unix.ultrix:7764
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!olivea!tardis!tymix!uunet!sci34hub!gary
From: gary@sci34hub.sci.com (Gary Heston)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin,comp.unix.ultrix
Subject: Re: Legality of Posting Received E-Mail to Netnews?
Keywords: Mail Legal
Message-ID: <1991Jun20.133521.3837@sci34hub.sci.com>
Date: 20 Jun 91 13:35:21 GMT
References: <1991Jun19.135529.25984@mlb.semi.harris.com>
Reply-To: gary@sci34hub.sci.com (Gary Heston)
Organization: SCI Technology, Inc., Huntsville, Al.
Lines: 23

In article <1991Jun19.135529.25984@mlb.semi.harris.com> dcb@dave.mis.semi.harris.com writes:
>Recently we had a minor Notes (similar to Netnews - general access
>to postings but limited to our company) war. A manager responded
>to one of the parties involved via direct E-Mail. This party posted the
>E-Mail message to the "world" and followed it with comments about it's
>patronizing tone...

>Besides the obvious ethical problems,  are there any legal ramifications
>to this action?

As long as the authorship was properly attributed, there would be no
violation of copyright laws, I think. Otherwise, unless the company 
had guaranteed privacy under the ECPA, I don't see anything illegal
about it. You could have your corporate counsel look into it.

BTW, I think it's more a matter of convention, rather than ethics,
where posting of email is concerned.

-- 
Gary Heston   System Mismanager and technoflunky   uunet!sci34hub!gary or
My opinions, not theirs.    SCI Systems, Inc.       gary@sci34hub.sci.com
I support drug testing. I believe every public official should be given a
shot of sodium pentathol and ask "Which laws have you broken this week?".