Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!psuvax1!vu-vlsi!swatsun!jackiw
From: jackiw@cs.swarthmore.edu (Nick Jackiw)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Tetris ( Public Domain ) for the Mac
Keywords: tetris public-domain
Message-ID: <2744@carthage.cs.swarthmore.edu>
Date: 20 Apr 89 13:52:01 GMT
References: <3354@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> <16987@mimsy.UUCP>
Reply-To: jackiw@carthage.UUCP (Nick Jackiw)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Visual Geometry Project, Swarthmore College, PA
Lines: 40

In article <16987@mimsy.UUCP> pugh@panache.cs.umd.edu (Bill Pugh) writes:
> In article <3354@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> meese@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Tim Meese) writes:
> >I know that this has been asked before, but could someone tell me if there
> >is a public-domain version of Tetris for the Mac?  
> 
> First off, if somebody gave me a "public-domain" version of Tetris, my
> guess would be that it was a pirated copy. Secondly, any public-domain
> clone of Tetris would be strongly infringing on the copyright of the
> original version. 

Stop me if I'm wrong, but isn't the reason that TETRIS exists in so many
incarnations, including PC, Mac, UNIX curses, Suntools, Amiga, and video
arcade versions, is that as a "soviet production-destruction tool" (:-) it's
NOT covered by our U. S. copyright laws?  I certainly know that as of two
years ago, the U. S. S. R. did not respect American (although maybe Berne)
copyright; and by necessity I would think we'd return the "favor."

Certainly a version which used code from the Spectrum Holobyte version, or
which resembled its interface _not in the game_ (which is Soviet intellectual
property, and hence--whether we like it or not--public property here) but in
the _implementation_ (backdrops, sounds, even possibly image patterns) would
be copyright infringement.  But not copying the concept, I believe.

Somebody please correct or confirm this if they're in-the-know about inter-
national (C)-law conventions.

> Thirdly, if you like the game, why not buy it and reward
> those people who spend the effort to create good games.  Its cheap, and 
> part of the profits go to support the Moscow computer club.

I agree entirely.

> 	Bill Pugh


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