Re: Linux kernel complete licence check, Q.0 - Q.10

[David Turner <novalis@novalis.org>]

> > Q.6:
> >    : /* inflate.c -- Not copyrighted 1992 by Mark Adler
> >    :   version c10p1, 10 January 1993 */
> 
> >    "Not copyrighted" == public domain?
> 
> In practise, yes. In theory, "not copyrighted" is nonsense as
> "copyright" is not a verb, nor an action that someone applies to the
> code. A court would try to interpret what the author *meant* by his
> nonsensical statement and probably arrive at "I unconditionally waive
> my copyright for this code, to the greatest extent possible by law".
> This is as good as "public domain" for our purposes.

Copyright *is* a verb, and has been at least since 1913:

  Copyright \Cop"y*right`\, v. t.
     To secure a copyright on.
     [1913 Webster]


>From this definition, there's a potential problem, since there is these
days no need to "secure" a copyright (except in the US via registration,
but unregistered works are still copyrighted). However, it's probably
not an actual problem, since the intent is clear


-- 
-Dave Turner                        Stalk Me: 617 441 0668
"Once a man has tasted freedom he will never be content to 
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