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From: ron@brl-smoke.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>)
Newsgroups: net.legal
Subject: Re: does copyright cover public domain software?
Message-ID: <608@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 15-Jan-86 13:17:50 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.608
Posted: Wed Jan 15 13:17:50 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jan-86 06:16:49 EST
References: <609@ttidcb.UUCP>
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab
Lines: 22

> 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?

Provided that the sole protection of the program was copyright,
you can develop a similar program from specification without
using the original source materials and it is yours.  It's done
all the time.

Watch out however for this VISUAL COPYRIGHT principle.  If the program
does any screen oriented graphics, the appearance of those displays
themselves (such as the PACMAN board or the MACINTOSH menu/window system)
be covered by copyright.

> 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?

Yes.  You were not give permission to copy the respective fields
from the book into your program.