Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!vaxine!wjh12!genrad!decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro.cpm Subject: Re: mdm740 copyrighted-- how can he do it?? Message-ID: <2704@ecsvax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 11-Jun-84 17:22:59 EDT Article-I.D.: ecsvax.2704 Posted: Mon Jun 11 17:22:59 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 14-Jun-84 06:32:22 EDT References: ihxxq.986 Lines: 34 >From: covert@ihuxq.UUCP (covert) Fri Jun 8 09:34:30 1984 >How can Irv Hoffman copyright the mdm7xx programs. As I understand >it the latest mdm740 is based upon the original work of Ward >Christensen. Is Hoffman going to split his profits with Ward?? > Heres to hoping that public domain programs remain public. Once a program (or anything) has been put into the public domain, it cannot be 'copyrighted'. Any changes, however, can be. For example, go to your neighborhood bookstore and pick up a copy of Moby Dick (or, better yet, The Bible, King James Version). You will probably find that it bears a copyright notice on the page following the title page. This copyright protects any original preface, foreward, footnotes, or the like inserted into the text. It also protects an abridgement if the work is abridged. But it clearly does not mean that you can claim copyright to the Bible (although that is something to think about...) (Mark Twain once made fun of Mary Baker Eddy for suing a publisher claiming copyright infringement when said publisher reprinted 'Science and Health' or some other Christian Science text. It seems Twain wanted to know how Eddy could claim divine authorship of the work and yet allege she was entitled to royalties.) I don't believe there's anything illegal about putting a copyright notice on a public domain work, unless someone could claim fraud. In any event, it is certainly of questionable ethics! I'm not a lawyer but I know what I like... D Gary Grady Duke University Computation Center, Durham, NC 27706 (919) 684-4146 USENET: {decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary