Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!ukma!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!pprg.unm.edu!hc!ames!elroy!cit-vax!ndc!mak
From: mak@ndc.UUCP (Mike Klaus)
Newsgroups: news.sysadmin
Subject: Re: Is the worm copyrighted?
Summary: . what's a copyright?
Message-ID: <245@ndc.UUCP>
Date: 22 Nov 88 01:39:12 GMT
References: <16683@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: NDC Systems, Monrovia, CA
Lines: 31

In article <16683@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>, weemba@garnet.berkeley.edu (Obnoxious Math Grad Student) writes:
> Did the worm come with a copyright notice?  That might hinder making
> copies of it available.  Gack: "copies may only be made automatically."
> 

  Asking for a copyright is a big mistake.  How can you get a copyright of
  a damned illegal thing?  

  This is how the nerds lost control of .crossover back in 1977.  The copyright
  office refused to recognize the software.  They notified NSA et. al. who
  confiscated the program and threatened the nerds with incarceration.  
  However, mere illegality didn't prevent them from using .crossover, and they
  didn't have to pay the nerds for writing it.      ^^^^^

  Fortunately, the code has been locked away, and used without being completely
  analyzed.  

						mak

  Story: 'People' who appear in the news media whose: Names are always printed
          or spoken exactly the same, in long form ( as in RTMorris, G?Hart,
          M?Noriega, FFFranco [ who is still dead :') ]); Only have one or two
          official pictures (as in, no recent photo opportunities); Who do
          alleged things through alleged 'friends' (who don't exist either);
	  Don't necessarily exist.

          Even his name, a pun as weemba has pointed out: RTM.  It's a 
	  functional joke.  I wouldn't be surprised if his nickname is
	  fred, so his initials would be RTFM.  I wouldn't be surprised
	  if his present coordinates are undefined.  I wouldn't be surprised
	  if the worm is a bastard child of .crossover.