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From: greg@gryphon.CTS.COM (Greg Laskin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: There's No Fun At Pixar
Message-ID: <1127@gryphon.CTS.COM>
Date: Wed, 5-Aug-87 15:05:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: gryphon.1127
Posted: Wed Aug  5 15:05:54 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Aug-87 07:12:30 EDT
References: <1681@cadovax.UUCP> <921@hp-sdd.HP.COM>
Reply-To: greg@gryphon.CTS.COM (Greg Laskin)
Distribution: na
Organization: Trailing Edge Technology, Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 52

[ Heavily edited for the net, omitting umbrage and addressing only
  issues of copyright.                                                ]

In article <921@hp-sdd.HP.COM> nick@hp-sdd.UUCP (Nick Flor) writes:
>In article <1681@cadovax.UUCP> keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) writes:
>>
>>Just heard that Leo's been told by Pixar not to distribute his animation
>>public domain as it would be copyright infringement (something I would
>>say is pretty questionable). 
>
>Did Leo really *borrow* this unicycle idea from an animation flick by Pixar?
>
>Let me summarize:
>
>A) The unicycle demo idea was a unique one.
>B) Leo borrowed the idea and made a demo.

Ideas can't be copyrighted.  The expression of the idea can be copyrighted.

>C) Leo had something to gain by making this demo. (fame, glory, apple 
>   pie and chevrolet).
>D) Leo gained plenty.  (And let's face it.  Many people came away from the
>   Amiga booth thinking that Leo came up with this idea all by
>   his lonesome)
>E) What did Pixar gain? 

Gain is irrelevent in copyright law.  Damage is relevent.  

The copyright questions are:

1)  Was the expression of an idea copied?
2)  Was there a legal assertion of copyright?
3)  Was the copying "fair use"?  There are "fair use" allowances for
	parody and satire.
4)  What damage was done?

By the way, I don't believe the correspondence underlying this matter
ever appeared on the net.  From what I've seen so far, there was no
threat of legal action by Pixar, only a suggestion, made via e-mail,
that, while Leo's private use of his program was OK, distribution
in the public domain would be a "clear copyright infringement."

All that aside, Leo has apparently decided that private negotiations
are in order.  The rest of us are just tilting at windmills.


-- 
Greg Laskin   
"When everybody's talking and nobody's listening, how can we decide?"
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