Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!pacbell!ames!indri!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!andyc
From: andyc@hplsla.HP.COM (Andy Cassino)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Contribution copyright query
Message-ID: <5440045@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 8 Aug 89 18:18:24 GMT
References: <570023@otter.hpl.hp.com>
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 48

*
*Apart from a complete rewriting of the contribution (at best plagiarism --- but
*the contributor *would* be acknowledged), how far can I go towards direct
*quotes/inclusion of text?
*
*I would also appreciate contributors' views on the ethics of this. I don't want
*to put people's noses out of joint, nor get anyone into bother with employers,
*hence this enquiry. 
*
*----------

My reaction is, I'd like to be able to post to this notesgroup without 
the worry of where else it might end up, especially if it is non-electronic 
media. I don't prepare my postings with the care and broad perspective 
I would use if I was going to write an article, and in general don't want 
them used that way. Also, what with the vagaries of the US legal system, 
I'm not enthused about my postings going on beyond notes without my express 
permission.

(I've already been surprised about where my postings have ended up thanks to
the info-atari-16 digest, and have not always been happy at the requests that
have resulted).

I would note that usenet is not supposed to be used for deriving commercial 
revenue. It's for communication. Re-packaging that communication and selling 
it strikes me as rather similar to those folks that put shareware on a 
disk and sell it for a service fee. That is, the ethics are questionable. 

And if someone does turn a buck from usenet, I think that the universities
and companies that make usenet possible (e.g. pay its bills) are entitled to
the lion's share of the profit. (Not to mention any and all authors).

I would recommend that permission be obtained before using any material
posted on usenet in a publication. Maybe you could obtain blanket permission
from those Atari employees that regularly provide official technical
information.

Disclaimer/Copyright Notice: This opinions expressed herein are those solely
of the author, who has no pecuniary interest in the companies mentioned, and
who also happens to own the copyright to this posting.

    %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
    % Andy Cassino                                                  %
    % uucp: hplabs!hplsla!andyc  domain: andyc%hplsla@hplabs.hp.com %
    % Hewlett-Packard              Lake Stevens Instrument Division %
    % 8600 Soper Hill Road                   Everett, WA 98205-1298 %
    % (206) 335-2211                                                %
    %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%