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From: jerry@oliveb.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: "Public Domain" YACC - AT&T Position on Proprietary and Copyrighted Software
Message-ID: <588@oliveb.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 2-Mar-87 18:19:20 EST
Article-I.D.: oliveb.588
Posted: Mon Mar  2 18:19:20 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Mar-87 20:07:45 EST
References: <6662@alice.uUCp> <691@rayssd.RAY.COM> <1896@ihuxz.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: jerry@oliveb.UUCP (Jerry F Aguirre)
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 32
Keywords: yacc, copyright, proprietary, "corrective action"

In article <1896@ihuxz.ATT.COM> burris@ihuxz.ATT.COM (Burris) writes:
>Come on guys lighten up! First you imply that AT&T has no right to
>say that their code is proprietary because someone illegally posted
>it and AT&T should have prevented it. Then you flame when an official
>statement comes from an official of AT&T!
>
>The only way that statement could be considered a threat is if you are
>the person directly responsible for release of proprietary software or
>are caught using it without a liscense. There have been accusations that
>AT&T is not taking adequate steps to protect their software. The official
>statement from AT&T SHOULD be an indication that this is hogwash.

The point is that it does not identify WHAT software is illegal.
Telling us that XX software is propietary but they make no claims to YY
is a service.  Saying SOMEONE did SOMETHING and they are going to get
them is a threat.  Hell, they don't even say if the alledged breach
involved the net.  Their posting will make everyone nervious about using
any software taken from the net.

I think the request was for someone from AT&T to state that the software
in question was or was not theirs.  This would have ended speculation on
the subject.  Obviously there is no incentive for them to do so and good
reasons for them not to.  Would you want to be the one releasing all
claim on YY and then find out you were wrong?

Like most official statements, it has zero data content.  Please be so
good as to tell me one fact of information gleened from that statement
that was not already obvious.

					Jerry Aguirre
					Systems Administration
					Olivetti ATC