Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 09:57:27 +1000 From: Andrew Kenneth Milton <akm@theinternet.com.au> To: Nate Williams <nate@yogotech.com> Cc: Andrew Kenneth Milton <akm@theinternet.com.au>, cjclark@alum.mit.edu, Giorgos Keramidas <keramida@ceid.upatras.gr>, "Thomas T. Veldhouse" <veldy@veldy.net>, Brian Somers <brian@Awfulhak.org>, freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG, brian@freebsd-services.com Subject: Re: Copyright Contradiction in libalias Message-ID: <20010822095727.M21855@zeus.theinternet.com.au> In-Reply-To: <15234.61394.346674.66625@nomad.yogotech.com>; from Nate Williams on Tue, Aug 21, 2001 at 05:33:38PM -0600 References: <cristjc@earthlink.net> <200108202249.f7KMnjU93566@hak.lan.Awfulhak.org> <20010821091441.F21855@zeus.theinternet.com.au> <006e01c12a43$48f9cb30$3028680a@tgt.com> <20010821114020.T313@blossom.cjclark.org> <20010821231841.B96292@hades.hell.gr> <20010821153116.Z313@blossom.cjclark.org> <15234.58543.854779.892964@nomad.yogotech.com> <20010822092358.L21855@zeus.theinternet.com.au> <15234.61394.346674.66625@nomad.yogotech.com>
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+-------[ Nate Williams ]---------------------- | > | > If you ever claimed to hold the copyright to software that has been | > | > released into the public domain, you would be commiting fraud. | > | | > | Not if I'm the author of the software. | > | | > | I can release my software under as many licenses as I'd like, including | > | putting it into the public domain. | > | > Once it's in the Public Domain you have abandoned your claim to copyright. | | On that released version, yes. But, not on subsuquent versions. Because you have now licensed Public Domain code, which has no restrictions. Not because you are the Author. | I still maintain my rights to do with the code as I please. Everyone has the rights you do. Everyone can take the Public Domain version and modify it and release it under a new License. | > | As the original author, you never lose your rights to the software, | > | unless you assign your rights away to another entity, who knows has the | > | > Or you abandon those rights by releasing it into the Public Domain. | | See above. Ditto. | > The Public Domain is not a license, it is an abandonment of copyright. | | That's not how I understand it to be, from speaking with lawyers on it. Then kindly point me to the Public Domain License, and I will happily retract my statements. | | > If you find a piece of code, without a license attached, then copyright | > law prevents you from copying, modifying or redistributing that code | > (or book, or music) without written permission. | | I believe this is part of the Berne Convention, no? (And, it's not | necessarily agreed upon by *all* countries in the world, hence the | reason why certain companies explicity deny you to download software in | certain countries. I believe Libya is one...) I think that's a US thing related to sanctions (probably against crypto). Berne Convention covers recognition of copyright between countries, if you're in a country that doesn't recognise your copyright, whether it's explicitly or implicitly granted, your license isn't going to matter, nor is some box telling you you're not allowed to download it. Recognition of copyright is not the same thing. Once you agree something is copyrighted, then copyright laws apply, and those restrict duplication, modification, and distribution (as well as others). If it's in the Public Domain it's not copyrighted. public domain n. The status of publications, products, and processes that are not protected under patent or copyright. I don't see how your lawyer can dispute that. -- Totally Holistic Enterprises Internet| | Andrew Milton The Internet (Aust) Pty Ltd | | ACN: 082 081 472 ABN: 83 082 081 472 | M:+61 416 022 411 | Carpe Daemon PO Box 837 Indooroopilly QLD 4068 |akm@theinternet.com.au| To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
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