Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!columbia!rutgers!gatech!mcnc!unccvax!innes
From: innes@unccvax.UUCP (Norm Innes)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: PD Boot Disks
Message-ID: <709@unccvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 17-May-87 13:28:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: unccvax.709
Posted: Sun May 17 13:28:46 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 17-May-87 19:58:04 EDT
References: <504@myrias.UUCP> <1868@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> <1541@cadovax.UUCP> <2142@hoptoad.uucp>
Organization: Univ. of NC at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Lines: 26
Keywords: boot copyright
Summary: Appears possible without copyright problems.

In article <2142@hoptoad.uucp>, farren@hoptoad.uucp (Mike Farren) writes:
> In article <1541@cadovax.UUCP> keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) writes:
> > In article <1868@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> carolyn@cbmvax.UUCP writes:
> > > I'd like to clarify a legal issue here.  Files from the WorkBench disk
> > > may not be distributed on shareware or freeware or in any publicly
> > > redistributable manner. The contents of the Workbench disk is copyrighted.
> >
> > This is still a bit fuzzy in my mind.  Does that mean you can do an
> > 'install' on a newly formatted disk without obtaining a license or not?
>
> Of course you can.  What you can't do is to sell or (strictly) give that disk
> to the public.

Carolyn's remarks refer to the distribution of *files* from the WorkBench disk.
Consider the case, for example, where a number of public domain picture files, 
along with a suitable display program, are copied to a newly formatted disk.
If you then run the install command to install that disk (without copying any
WorkBench files) you can boot the disk and run the display program from the
default CLI that appears.  You can't do a LoadWB, of course, since you don't
have the necessary files on that disk, nor do you have any of the usual CLI
commands at your disposal.  You can, however, add a suitable startup command
file (s/startup-sequence) so the disk will boot and then automatically run the
display program. 

It appears that this would satisfy many of the needs for bootable PD disks
without infringing on copyrighted WorkBench files.