Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-crg!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!MC.LCS.MIT.EDU!KFL%MX.LCS.MIT.EDU From: KFL%MX.LCS.MIT.EDU@MC.LCS.MIT.EDU ("Keith F. Lynch") Newsgroups: comp.emacs Subject: Swedish copyright laws Message-ID: <961981.861214.KFL@MX.LCS.MIT.EDU> Date: Sun, 14-Dec-86 02:13:50 EST Article-I.D.: MX.961981.861214.KFL Posted: Sun Dec 14 02:13:50 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 16-Dec-86 01:20:25 EST Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 23 Please reply to me, I am not on Unix-Emacs. From: Christer Johansson... The swedish copyright law only applies to programs if they're works of art. (In a lawsuit recently visicalc was found not to be a work of art. The same would probably hold for emacs.) ... Great. No doubt people are wondering why so many popular American programs are no longer for sale in Sweden, and why very little good software is written there any more. Why not give the individual a choice? If he doesn't find a given program worth the hassle of not being allowed to copy it, he doesn't have to buy it. But why should other people, who may find the utility of the program worth its cost and restrictions, be forced to go along with his choice? Why shouldn't the author of software have a choice? He can put any restrictions he likes on the use of his program, and if people don't like it, they can choose not to buy it. Instead, he is told if he writes a program, and the Swedish government doesn't consider it a work of art (as if government's proper role was that of art critic) that anyone may steal a copy for himself. ...Keith