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From: ftsjmd@ncsu.UUCP (Mike Davis)
Newsgroups: net.games.pbm
Subject: copyright and Diplomacy by mail
Message-ID: <2905@ncsu.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Jul-85 17:29:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: ncsu.2905
Posted: Fri Jul 26 17:29:33 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Jul-85 09:14:16 EDT
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Organization: N.C. State University, Raleigh
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I am wondering how it is possible to run Diplomacy by mail when there is
a copyrighted board game.  Does Avalon Hill sanction this or is the pbm
medium significantly different from the board game so as to allow this
without copyright infringement?

I remember reading something in a computer magazine about the copyright laws
that shocked me somewhat.  It said, for example, that a programmer could
buy a copy of VisiCalc and examine how it works by using it and then legally
write a program that mimics (sp?) VisiCalc and sell it, as long as he wrote
this program without examining VisiCalc's code.  I have plenty of speculation
of how this might apply to Diplomacy by mail, but what I would like is answers
from people who either know the copyright laws and how they might apply here,
or who know how they do apply here.

Respond by E-mail since I am an infrequent reader of this news group.

Thanks in advance

Mike
Davis