Re: Question about licensing
Bruce Perens writes:
> In contrast, when one piece of software calls into another, you can trace
> the thread of control from one work into another, and a significant part
> of the called work, perhaps all of it, is processed.
Copyright is concerned with the making of copies, not "threads of control".
> If you write a single-purpose GUI shell for "dpkg", that should indeed be
> considered a derivative work of dpkg - even though it doesn't incorporate
> dpkg into its address space, the effect is not very different than if it
> had done so.
Being copied into memory in order to be executed is what the program is
for, so the right to do make an evanescent copy for that purpose is
implicit. As long as the copy is not distributed there can be no
infringement.
> In addition, since the law doesn't state with any degree of effectiveness
> _what_ a derived work is in the realm of _software_,...
While the statute does not include software among its examples, the
definition is quite clear. Though I don't have any citations at hand, I
believe that courts have in fact applied the definition to software in a
quite reasonable manner.
--
John Hasler This posting is in the public domain.
john@dhh.gt.org Do with it what you will.
Dancing Horse Hill Make money from it if you can; I don't mind.
Elmwood, Wisconsin Do not send email advertisements to this address.
Reply to: