From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Mar 25 09:29:58 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 DFC1D1065670 for ; Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:29:58 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from erikt@midgard.homeip.net) Received: from ch-smtp02.sth.basefarm.net (ch-smtp02.sth.basefarm.net [80.76.149.213]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 983A18FC0A for ; Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:29:58 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from erikt@midgard.homeip.net) Received: from c83-255-48-78.bredband.comhem.se ([83.255.48.78]:54776 helo=falcon.midgard.homeip.net) by ch-smtp02.sth.basefarm.net with esmtp (Exim 4.68) (envelope-from ) id 1LmPC9-0008Ag-7j for hackers@freebsd.org; Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:14:45 +0100 Received: (qmail 27343 invoked from network); 25 Mar 2009 10:14:42 +0100 Received: from owl.midgard.homeip.net (10.1.5.7) by falcon.midgard.homeip.net with ESMTP; 25 Mar 2009 10:14:42 +0100 Received: (qmail 13485 invoked by uid 1001); 25 Mar 2009 10:14:42 +0100 Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:14:42 +0100 From: Erik Trulsson To: Luigi Rizzo Message-ID: <20090325091442.GA13455@owl.midgard.homeip.net> References: <20090325084722.GC98685@onelab2.iet.unipi.it> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20090325084722.GC98685@onelab2.iet.unipi.it> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.18 (2008-05-17) X-Originating-IP: 83.255.48.78 X-Scan-Result: No virus found in message 1LmPC9-0008Ag-7j. X-Scan-Signature: ch-smtp02.sth.basefarm.net 1LmPC9-0008Ag-7j 69329ebfb348537ee761c40a8e278cfd Cc: hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: 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 09:29:59 -0000 On Wed, Mar 25, 2009 at 09:47:22AM +0100, Luigi Rizzo wrote: > 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 ? Yes, it will expire eventually, after a long time. The exact length of copyright can vary a bit between different countries, but in most places nowadays I think it is 'life of author plus 70 years' > (I suppose it is related to either the date listed on the copyright, > or to the date of some remarkable event for the author). > -- Erik Trulsson ertr1013@student.uu.se