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From: dougm@unix386.Convergent.COM (The Manic Tinker)
Newsgroups: news.misc,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Copyrights on Usenet Articles
Message-ID: <769@unix386.Convergent.COM>
Date: 11 Jan 90 19:14:27 GMT
References: <24551@gryphon.COM>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Unisys/Convergent, San Jose, CA
Lines: 28

In article <24551@gryphon.COM>, richard@gryphon.COM (Richard Sexton) writes:
> In article <10907@attctc.Dallas.TX.US> rissa@attctc.Dallas.TX.US (Patricia O Tuama) writes:
> >The act of posting an article to a public network or BBS is what 
> >puts it the public domain, not the distribution of the article.
> 
> I was rather shocked when I read this, so I called Trish. Yes, she
> did talk to a lawyer specializing in computer law, and yes, anything
> you post to a BBS or to USENET, IRREGARDLESS OF ANY COPYRIGHT
> NOTICES YOU HAVE, is now in the public domain. If you want to 
> maintain a copyright, don't post it.

This is definitely something that is good to know.  When something goes
into the "public domain," does that mean that *all* of the author's
rights with regard to the publication lapse?  S/He know longer controls
the item in *any* way?  This seems extreme.  An example:

Joe Blow writes a story that he sells to OutThere Magazine for first NA
serial rights.  It gets published in Analog, and after that Joe gets a
request to have the article posted to the net.  Joe says, "Go ahead."
The article is posted.  Later, Monumental wants to buy the movie rights.
Some sharp researcher at Monumental finds out that the story has been posted
to Usenet, is therefore in "the public domain," and doesn't buy the rights,
just runs with it.  From your information above, Monumental would be within
their rights, and ol' Joe would be out of luck.  Right?
-- 
         Doug Moran          |  I have often felt like a resident of Pompeii
pyramid!ctnews!unix386!dougm |  who has been asked for some humorous comments
dougm@unix386.Convergent.com |  on lava.