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From: svirsky@ttidcb.UUCP (William Svirsky)
Newsgroups: net.legal
Subject: does copyright cover public domain software?
Message-ID: <609@ttidcb.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-Jan-86 17:37:58 EST
Article-I.D.: ttidcb.609
Posted: Fri Jan  3 17:37:58 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 6-Jan-86 03:06:19 EST
Reply-To: svirsky@ttidcb.UUCP (William Svirsky)
Organization: Transaction Technology, Inc. (CitiCorp), Santa Monica
Lines: 22

<choke on it!>
I have a few questions concerning copyright laws.  If I write my
own version of a best-selling program that looks and acts
exactly as the original, but I give mine away for free, can I
be sued?  If I write a program that is based on the information
in a book, a database program for example, and use the format 
from the book exactly even to calling fields by the same name,
but give it away free, can I be sued?  Lastly, if I write a
game program using the plot, place, and characters from a book,
and again give it away free, can I be sued?  If the answer to
any of the above is yes, what would I have to do in order not
to infringe on the copyright?  Any help on this would be
appreciated.  Send me mail and I'll summarize to the net.
Thanks.


-- 
Bill Svirsky
Citicorp/TTI
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405 Work phone: 213-450-9111 x2597
{philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcb!svirsky