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From: helbekkmo%vax.runit.unit.uninett@NTA-VAX.ARPA (Tom Ivar Helbekkmo)
Newsgroups: mod.legal
Subject: Introductions.
Message-ID: <77:helbekkmo@vax.runit.unit.uninett>
Date: Wed, 11-Dec-85 23:39:49 EST
Article-I.D.: vax.77:helbekkmo
Posted: Wed Dec 11 23:39:49 1985
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Approved: info-law@sri-csl.arpa

I kind of liked Bud's idea of introducing ourselves a bit.  So here goes:

I'm Tom Ivar Helbekkmo (call me Tom), and I'm a student of computer science
at the Norwegian Institute of Technology at Trondheim, Norway.  Now, the
way I see it, anybody working with computers ought to know a bit about the
legal aspects of programs and programming - not to mention information
about people.  So, here I am, hoping to glean a bit of knowledge out of you
guys - 'cause I have to admit I'm not too knowledgeable myself.  I do know
that Norwegian and American law in these matters don't differ very much,
the main difference being that your laws are more up to date, i.e. more
in tune with today's needs.  In this country, we're still pretty much at the
level of treating a program as a piece of litterature...  Copyrighting can
be an interesting problem.

I guess what I most of all want to find out more about, is just that:  The
copyright laws.  Questions like 'Can I copyright my program?', 'How?', and
of course 'Can Ashton-Tate really tell me on-screen that the program I
bought isn't mine, I'm just renting it, and it may not necessarily do any-
thing useful, and it might destroy my computer, and they're not liable for
anything, but I'm a crook if I make a backup copy, and the moment I press
CR and start the program, I've signed this statement?'  (Replace 'Ashton-
Tate' with the software house of your choice...)

Looking forward to exchanging thoughts and information with you all!

Tom.