Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!pollux.usc.edu!papa
From: papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Copyrights-when do they lapse
Message-ID: <23286@usc.edu>
Date: 6 Mar 90 20:04:23 GMT
References: <6718@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Sender: news@usc.edu
Organization: Felsina Software, Los Angeles, CA
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In article <6718@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt4662b@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN) writes:
>
> In the Marauder II thread, the question has come up about whether
>or not the software has fallen into the public domain. 
>
>My thought is that, naturally, a copyright will remain the property
>of the person who originally filed it. Does anyone know if there 
>is a limit after which the copyright lapses for software if not 
>renewed? 

I don't think copyright can be renewed. BUT, the length of the 
copyright is so long that it definitely exceeds the actual lifetime of
computer programs (I forgot whether it is 50 years or 75 years).

>From my best (highly uninformed) guess, this would be similar to the
>case of a copyright held by a defunct corporation. The exception would
>be if some other company bought the rights.

Copyrights are always in the name of an author. A corporation could
buy a copyright, though filing bankrupcy doesn NOT make the copyright
invalid and the software public domain. The copyright is an "asset"
and as such would be used when paying for creditors, etc...

Consider also that most Amiga software is copyrighted by an author and
licensed to a publisher. If the publisher goes under, the usual licensing
contract includes a clause that makes the contract terminated, and reverts 
all rights to the author.

So forget about thinking that Marauder II is public domain. It isn't.

-- Marco
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"Xerox sues somebody for copying?" -- David Letterman
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