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From: rcj@moss.ATT.COM
Newsgroups: net.sources
Subject: Public domain software proclamation -- be careful!
Message-ID: <8411@clyde.ATT.COM>
Date: Mon, 13-Apr-87 16:30:33 EST
Article-I.D.: clyde.8411
Posted: Mon Apr 13 16:30:33 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Apr-87 18:55:22 EST
References: <197@twg-ap.UUCP> <4477@utah-cs.UUCP>
Sender: root@clyde.ATT.COM
Reply-To: rcj@moss.UUCP (Curtis Jackson)
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany NJ
Lines: 22
Summary: You're wrong, Ed, it does happen!

In article <4477@utah-cs.UUCP> cetron@cs.utah.edu.UUCP (Edward J Cetron) writes:
>	Most companies make it very clear what is yours and what is theirs. 
>And I seem to remember the big court case about some guy from sears and 
>wrenches which ruled that what you do on your own time is yours.

Most companies do indeed, including AT&T -- ANYTHING you do is theirs while
you work for them.  I posted a PD version of dup2() a couple of years ago
(there had already been two almost-identical PD versions posted).  I got
a call from an AT&T corporate lawyer who subsequently sent me copies of the
copyright-type agreement I had signed, the pertinent company instructions on
the matter, and a personal letter telling me that it was decidedly NOT up
to me to decide that this piece of software was, as I had put it, "the
definition of the word 'trivial'" in nature.

>	The only place that I know of where this IS a problem is with graduate
>student employees in universitys.

Now you know of another 'lil ole place -- AT&T.

The MAD Programmer -- 201-386-4295 (Cornet 232)
alias: Curtis Jackson	...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd allegra ]!moss!rcj
			...![ ihnp4 cbosgd akgua watmath  ]!clyde!rcj