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From: reintom@rocky2.UUCP
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Re: Copyright status of the netnews software
Message-ID: <340@rocky2.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Feb-87 19:13:50 EST
Article-I.D.: rocky2.340
Posted: Tue Feb 10 19:13:50 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Feb-87 03:50:17 EST
References: <962@osiris.UUCP> <1717@hoptoad.uucp> <43093@beno.seismo.CSS.GOV> <1765@hoptoad.uucp>
Organization: Rockefeller Univ.,N.Y.C 10021
Lines: 32
Summary: No, Mr. Gilmore, you are wrong.

In article <1765@hoptoad.uucp>, gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) writes:
> 
> [...]
> 
> We've had enough trouble with people sticking "this is public domain" notices
> on Unix sources and such -- let's not stick "this is copyright" notices on
> PD stuff either.  Especially PD stuff that so many people from our own
> community have labored over.
> -- 
> John Gilmore
> Love your country but never trust its government.
> 		     -- from a hand-painted road sign in central Pennsylvania

[]

Actually, if you copyright a work, you can control who can and who can't copy
it.  If you don't copyright it, anyone can do anything he wants, including
claim it's his.  There is no way of officially denoting something as public
domain.  If it is not copyrighted, then it is public domain.  If it is
public domain, that means no one has claimed the right to control on
exclude rights to copy.

I agree with your point that it's a rotten thing to do to claim substantial
labor as your own and take credit.  However rotten it is, though, it *is*
legal.

-Tom
-- 
Tom Reingold;  The Rockefeller University; 1230 York Av; NY 10021
PHONE: (212) 570-7709 [office]; (212) 304-2504 [home]
ARPANET: reintom@rockefeller.arpa BITNET: REINTOM@ROCKVAX
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