Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!sharkey!mudos!mju
From: mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Commercial software in comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Message-ID: <167.242944EA@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us>
Date: 23 Mar 89 19:06:49 GMT
Organization: A neat desk is a sign of a crazy person.
Lines: 40

In article <990@necis.UUCP>, rbono@necis.UUCP (Rich Bono) writes:

 >force you to register... In my documentation I (usually) mention that it
 >is ok to give your friends a copy, but if you give out more than 5, you
 >must register with the author, this is to protect my commercial rights...
 >you know, those guys who fill disks with "public domain" software and sell
 >it for THEIR profit!

Does that mean that if I have to register it if I post it to a BBS, and more  
than 5 people download it?  Do I have to register it if I submit it to  
PC-SIG, or another similar (on the up-and-up) shareware group?  If I take a  
copy to one of my user group's meeting's copy sessions, and more than 5  
people want a copy, do I have to register it?  Even if I don't want it?   
Sounds more like you're nipping increased circulation of your program in the  
bud.

 >So if someone could recomend a better "license agreement", that allows the
 >author to protect his commercial rights (I don't want someone ELSE
 >profiting from my stuff), then please let the authors know!

Why don't you just put a clause in the licence agreement that states, "This  
is NOT public domain software.  This is copyrighted software, and, as such, is  
the sole property of the author.  No fee may be charged for this software,  
with the following exceptions: A disk-copying fee not to exceed 8  
(eight) dollars US currency may be charged; and bulletin board systems that  
charge a general user fee may make this program available for download.  It  
should be made clear to such persons that they have NOT registered the  
program; they have merely paid for the disk, wear and tear on the copier's  
drives, etc., and they must still register with the author after the trial  
period has expired."

(You might want to run that by a lawyer before using it; I don't know any  
more about copyright law than the next guy.)
 
--  
Marc Unangst
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