From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Mar 25 08:58:12 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 06DB61065695 for ; Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:58:12 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from luigi@onelab2.iet.unipi.it) Received: from onelab2.iet.unipi.it (onelab2.iet.unipi.it [131.114.9.129]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C14D98FC2A for ; Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:58:11 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from luigi@onelab2.iet.unipi.it) Received: by onelab2.iet.unipi.it (Postfix, from userid 275) id F408B730A1; Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:47:22 +0100 (CET) Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:47:22 +0100 From: Luigi Rizzo To: hackers@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20090325084722.GC98685@onelab2.iet.unipi.it> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i Cc: Subject: does Copyright on source files expire ? X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:58:12 -0000 Someone just asked me permission to move to a 3-clause BSD copyright some piece of software that I haven't touched in 10+ years. I said yes, but then I was wondering what happens if the person listed is not responding or not reachable anymore: does copyright on source code expire, and if so, when ? (I suppose it is related to either the date listed on the copyright, or to the date of some remarkable event for the author). cheers luigi