Re: A possible GFDL comporomise: a proposal

[Dylan Thurston <dpt@math.harvard.edu>]

On 2003-09-29, Fedor Zuev <Fedor_zuev@mail.ru> wrote:
> On Sat, 27 Sep 2003, Nathanael Nerode wrote:
>
>> Fedor Zuev wrote:
>>> First, try to answer to several simply questions.
>> FYI, these are *my* answers, not necessarily everyone's answers.
>
>>> 0) Is printed Emacs Manual in bookstore a software or hardware?
>> The lump of paper and ink is hardware.  Including the various
>> splotchesof ink resulting from printing press problems.  But the
>> 'text of the manual',that abstract entity embodied in the manual,
>> is software.
>
>>> 1) Is Emacs Manual recorded on CD-Audio a software or hardware?
>> The bits are software, the lump of plastic is hardware.
>> ...
>>> 8)Is Debian logo written on [cover of] the same CD-ROM software
>>> or hardware?
>
>> Neither, really, but...  The printed cover with its actual copy of
>> the logo,possibly with some dirt, etc., is hardware.  The logo as
>> a copyrightable entity embodied on the cover is software.
>> ...
> Song written on CDDA is a software, whereas the song written on a
> analog magnetic tape (exactly the same object from the
> copyright|licensing perspective) is not a software. Right?

I'm not sure how you're deriving this distinction between
information-stored-digitally and information-stored-analogly from
Nathanael Nerode's answers: to me, his answers seem consistent with
the interpretation that all information is "software", independent of
its physical manifestation.  Perhaps you're mistaking his answers for
those in another post?

Peace,
	Dylan