Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site unc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!mcnc!unc!bch From: bch@unc.UUCP (Byron Howes ) Newsgroups: net.general,net.news,net.legal Subject: Theft of Copyrighted Material Message-ID: <6915@unc.UUCP> Date: Wed, 14-Mar-84 20:44:46 EST Article-I.D.: unc.6915 Posted: Wed Mar 14 20:44:46 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 16-Mar-84 07:42:27 EST Organization: University of North Carolina Comp. Center Lines: 49 The following is personal correspondence posted, with permission, to the net. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another net participant has committed the crime of illegal reproduction of copyrighted material, in this case a set of lyrics to a satirical popular song. By doing so, he made himself and his site liable to severe penalties, both criminal and civil, and showed a complete lack of respect for the owner of the copyright. We have been over this many times before, but these thieves continue to operate. They are seemingly unaware that copyrighted material is property, and that the owner of the copyright makes his or her living from restricted reproduction of the copyrighted material. Thus, the real irony of the situation: although one would expect that the offending poster would have respect for the person owning the work that the offender decided to "share" (one assumes that the offender liked the work), he is stealing from the owner. It is as if one liked a painting hanging in a museum so much that he removed it without permission and showed it to all and sundry while praising the museum. It is perfectly legal to reproduce short extracts of a copyrighted work for critical purposes, but reproduction in whole is strictly and explicitly forbidden. Otherwise, there would be no way for the artist to make money, and there would thus be less motive for people to go to the trouble of making their art available at all. The crime of theft is as serious in this context as any other, even though you may not have to pick locks, mask your face, or conceal merchandise. I suggest that this warning be placed in the USENET etiquette article. Tim Maroney, The Censored Hacker ---------------------------------------------------------------------- As one who is in the business of writing potentially saleable software I concur completely with Tim and perhaps feel more strongly about it than he. I dare say that if I found software I had written for profit being distributed for free to the world at large, I would have the offending parties in court in a heartbeat. -- "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" Byron Howes UNC - Chapel Hill ({decvax,akgua}!mcnc!unc!bch)