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Re: Call for lawyers: GPL Intelectual property protection



On Fri, Oct 30, 1998 at 04:06:10PM -0800, Matthew Schlegel wrote:
> On Fri Oct 30 15:50:49 1998, john@dhh.gt.org rambled into the ether:
> > Here is the part I cut:
> > 
> >   ...or to the Company's or Client's actual or demonstrably anticipated
> >   research or development, or (b) which does not result from any work
> >   performed for the Company or Client.
> > 
> > This says that if he got the idea from work he did for them they own it
> > even if it doesn't have anything to do with their business.  Read the whole
> > thing from the beginning and carefully parse the double negatives.
> > 
> > To be his an idea must:
> >  a) be developed using nothing of theirs,
> >  b) be developed entirely on his time, 
> >  c) not relate in any way to their business, and 
> >  d) not result from anything he did for them.
> > 
> > It boils down to this: they own all the software he develops while he works
> > there.  He cannot contribute to any free software project while employed
> > there without getting a signed release from them.  He should not write one
> > line of code on his project unless he can get them to waive their rights to
> > it.
> > 
> > This is why the FSF requires all that "silly paperwork".
> 
> Thanks for the help Everyone.
> 
> Can anyone give any recommendations that may help me get a waiver to work on any
> GPL license software (perhaps it could be constrained to GPL software not in 
> competition to NT5 (group I will be in))? 

Well...considering Micro$oft's belief that EVERYTHING is part of
the OS, they could consider anything as competing with NT.

hmm NetTrash 5...So...when we see it blue screen should we think of you?  :>

> I don't particularly want to try to 
> get them to waive rights to my mud src specifically as that would most likely 
> draw unwanted attention to the mud server and end up resulting in them taking
> it when they may not have otherwise thought about it.

If you can't get them to give you either a direct waiver fo rthe mud OR 
a general waiver allowing to work on anything NOT related directly to the
work you are doing...

then the only recourse you have really is to STOP work on
it the MOMENT you START working for them and not TOUCH it at
all during that time (hmm real ass covering: pgp sign a tar file
of its directory tree and send it to someone else to hold)

Then you can prove you didn't work on it.

Hope its all worth it :) who knows...maybe teh section of NT5 you work on
will actually end up having some level of quality to it...
that would be a first :)

(I havn't seen quality M$ software since DOS)
-Steve
-- 
/* -- Stephen Carpenter <sjc@delphi.com> --- <sjc@debian.org>------------ */
"The demand for mind-altering substances has been part of mankind 
since its begining. No amount of wishing or well-intentioned legislation
will eliminate that demand"
-Dirk Chase Eldredge "Ending the Drug War: A solution for America"

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