Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!pur-ee!pur-phy!sawmill!mdbs!wsmith
From: wsmith@mdbs.UUCP (Bill Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: The 12121 check digit algorithm
Summary: previous note does not properley summarize copyright law
Message-ID: <1473@mdbs.UUCP>
Date: 5 Jan 90 16:28:38 GMT
References: <1498@skye.ed.ac.uk> <599@xdos.UUCP>
Organization: MDBS Inc., Lafayette, IN
Lines: 26



 >From: doug@xdos.UUCP (Doug Merritt)
 >In article <1498@skye.ed.ac.uk> ken@aiai.UUCP (Ken Johnson) writes:
 >> * The 12121 check digit algorithm. This version Ken Johnson, AIAI,
 >> * Edinburgh University, 1989. You may freely use, modify or copy
 >> * this code, declaim it in public houses or paint it on walls.
 >> * But if you sell it at a profit, I want a share please.
 >
 >If you seriously want the legal right to control commercial usage,
 >you must follow the international copyright law in such matters.
 >Since you gave no copyright notice (which is required to say "copyright"
 >along with your name & year of publication), this is now public domain.
 >
 >I rather like public domain offerings, but thought you might like to
 >know for future reference. Thanks for contributing!

According to information disseminated by my University, US copyright law 
does not require a copyright notice to assert copyright (although it helps).

Certainly, lack of a copyright notice does not imply public domain in the
US.

Bill Smith
pur-ee!mdbs!wsmith
(not my employer's opinion.  not legal counsel.)