Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!killer!mjbtn!root
From: root@mjbtn.UUCP (Mark J. Bailey)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: MEAN18 AUTHOR REPLIES TO POSTING:
Message-ID: <216@mjbtn.UUCP>
Date: 17 Mar 88 12:26:19 GMT
References: <235400004@prism> <235400005@prism>
Organization: JobSoft Design & Development, Murfreesboro, TN USA
Lines: 51
Summary: copyright does not necessarily mean no free distribution

In article <235400005@prism>, john@prism.TMC.COM writes:
> 
> >...Also, almost
> >every piece of software I've come across in the "Public Domain" has been
> >copyrighted.  A copyright isn't a reliable indicator that a piece of
> >software is going to be sold or found in a store.
> 
> Oh, come on.  A copyright is a reliable indicator that a piece of software is 
> copyrighted, and that is all you need to know, if you are thinking about 
> copying it for public distribution.  Otherwise, what does a copyright notice 
> mean?  It is not necessary to also say:  "Hey, not only is this copyrighted, 
> but like, we really mean it, OK?  Like, you should not COPY it without 
> permission, and like, this is not to be confused with your everyday public 
> domain program that you can post on public bulletin boards."  
> 

The copyright does not necessarily mean that a piece of software is not 
distributable freely.  There are other items that would come under the license
and terms agreements that could very well convey to the possesser the right 
to distribute and copy the software without direct permission.  I am not a
lawyer, though.  The GNU Project *DOES* copyright their software.  They make
this quite clear, too.  But, in the terms of the GNU Emacs General Public
License, they give one the right to distribute the software *freely*, provided
the person making the distribution also provide *All* the source code with
it.  While, of course, here in this group we seldom have the source code for
all the binaries, the point is that the software is copyrighted, but under
its terms, can be distributed as freely as public domain.  Other things
must be considered.

I will also cast my vote NO for moderation of this group.  It is really
unnecessary.  The "neighborhood watch" program here is quite functional.
I see no need for moderation.  You have done such a thorough job catching, 
interpretting, and condemming such an act, who needs law enforcement?  Let's
keep moderation as a last ditch alternative.  Self policing, in this case,
is probably much more effective.  No one will be able to get away with 
posting a copyrighted program as with a doubt, someone will detect it, blow
the whistle, call the owners of the copyright, and flame the poster to
death.  This is dissuasion enough!  I vote *NO*.


-- 
       Mark J. Bailey  _____________________________________________________
      _________________\                                              _____|
     >                          @ Nashville            Knoxville    _/
    /                                                      +  ____''
   > 	Jackson +                 <*> MURFREESBORO          _/
  /              "From the Heart of Middle Tennessee!"   ___>
 > + Memphis                              Chattanooga  _< 
<______________________________________________+_______/   JobSoft D&D Co.
 UUCP: ...!{ames,ihnp4,codas,cbosgd}!killer!mjbtn!root    Murfreesboro, TN
 FIDO: Mark Bailey at Net/Node 1:116/12                         U.S.A.