Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1     9/27/83; site hplabsb.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!hplabsb!pc
From: pc@hplabsb.UUCP (Patricia Collins)
Newsgroups: net.legal,net.women
Subject: personal correspondence
Message-ID: <2140@hplabsb.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Mar-84 12:19:46 EST
Article-I.D.: hplabsb.2140
Posted: Fri Mar  9 12:19:46 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Mar-84 14:36:40 EST
Organization: Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto CA
Lines: 21


	Does anyone know if it is legal to publish another person's
private correspondence, without the author's permission?  In my
family, there was a rigid rule that an individual's mail was their
property, to be read by no one else without the owner's (receiver's) 
permission, and I believe there is a similar federal law (no one can 
take your mail without your permission).  Does the author (sender)
have any rights?  Must we copyright our private correspondence?

	This subject has come up within our office (for business
correspondence), and on the network (where occasionally people quote
private correspondence without the author's permission).  Obviously,
the School of Hard Knocks teaches that you don't say/write anything
you don't want to be quoted on by your enemies and unthinking friends.

	Anyone who can point me to a law or legal precedent has my
thanks!

						Patricia Collins
						hplabs