Xref: utzoo misc.legal:6054 news.software.b:1680
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!gatech!rebel!dcatla!holos0!lbr
From: lbr@holos0.UUCP (Len Reed)
Newsgroups: misc.legal,news.software.b
Subject: Re: Copyright Law Revisited
Message-ID: <1431@holos0.UUCP>
Date: 14 Oct 88 22:16:01 GMT
References: <1988Oct13.173958.11367@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: Holos Software, Atlanta, GA
Lines: 22

From article <1988Oct13.173958.11367@utzoo.uucp>, by henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer):
> 
> A caution on this:  the letter c enclosed in parentheses may be the closest
> approximation to c-in-a-circle that can be produced on limited output devices,
> but it has zero legal standing.  If you cannot produce a real, complete circle
> around the c, use the word "Copyright" instead.

True, but of limited use outside the U.S.

I wouldn't bet on (c) on either side.  If you put it in your work it may
not be held to mean copyright--to my knowledge no court has ruled on this.
But if you steal somebody's work and use this as a defense you may very
well find a court ruling on it--against you.  (As well you should, but
common law does not equal common sense.)

An article in Unix Review's excellent computer law column dealt with this.
The author also noted that "Copyright" has no international standing--only
US (and probably some others).  Circle c has international treaty standing.

Isn't software copyright law wonderful? ;-)
-- 
    -    Len Reed