Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!umd5!mimsy!oddjob!gargoyle!ihnp4!cbosgd!mandrill!hal!ncoast!rbj From: rbj@icst-cmr.arpa (Root Boy Jim) Newsgroups: comp.sources.d Subject: v11INF3: Poll on copyrights Message-ID: <4899@ncoast.UUCP> Date: Sat, 17-Oct-87 21:09:06 EDT Article-I.D.: ncoast.4899 Posted: Sat Oct 17 21:09:06 1987 Date-Received: Tue, 20-Oct-87 02:03:47 EDT Sender: allbery@ncoast.UUCP Lines: 38 Just because someone places a restriction on something doesn't mean it has to be followed. I have no qualms about doing anything I damn well please with any piece of software I get my hands on. On the other hand, most of the restrictions are rather innocuous, tending towards `you can't sell it of pretend you wrote it.' I intend to do neither, my militant attitude being confined to duplication and hacking. If someone wants to use the net as a beta test site for future products, that is okay with me also. Unipress (Gosling) EMACS is a good example. The original was redistributable but also bore the copyright as well. At some point they decided to cut us off, attempting to seduce us with proprietary enhancements to entice us to buy. It seems that the function of the embryonic copyright is to merely pave the way. In short, keep posting them. It is up to each individual user to follow the restrictions to the degree that he sees fit, and up to the copywriter to enforce those restrictions to the degree that he is able to. Most companys do this by controlling the distribution. Most `violations' will be rather low key and undetectable. People foolish enuf to attempt to sell other people's work should be arrested for stupidity anyway. It would be interesting to see the concept of an `attractive nuisance' be applied to computer software. Suppose TPC or Berkeley were to post their version of UNIX (I refuse to say `registered TM', come and get me) to this newsgroup with a copyright notice saying `if you use this, send us $43,000 dollars, or $16,000 if you delete the source', then went around logging onto systems to see what they were running, and prosecuted those people who hadn't paid up. Hmmm... (Root Boy) Jim Cottrell National Bureau of Standards Flamer's Hotline: (301) 975-5688 Disclaimer: These are my own positions and beliefs, not thise of NBS.