Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!ihnp4!we13!otuxa!ll1!sb1!sb6!emory!msdc!ncsu!mcnc!idis!dan From: dan@idis.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: Piracy? The LAW Message-ID: <209@idis.UUCP> Date: Fri, 3-Jun-83 19:33:52 EDT Article-I.D.: idis.209 Posted: Fri Jun 3 19:33:52 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 7-Jun-83 00:50:20 EDT Lines: 26 References: security.306 Unless the Supreme Court has made a recent decision about the matter, trade secret protection and copyright protection are not incompatible. It is true that published materials cannot be trade secrets, but the copyright laws also protect unpublished materials. It it probably not appropriate to place the standard copyright statement, something like Copyright (C) 1983 by Whoever on proprietary material because the year is intended to be the year of publication. Unpublished materials are *automatically* copyrighted. They don't have to be labelled with a copyright statement. The problem with copyright protection for trade secrets is that an almost inconsequential copyright violation can completely ruin a trade secret and penalties for inconsequential copyright violations are not very intimidating. The serious penalties only apply after a work is registered with the copyright office and even then there is no percentage in prosecuting individuals who make single copies. Dan Strick [decvax|mcnc]!idis!dan