Re: Linux and GPLv2
On Fri, 01 Apr 2005, Måns Rullgård wrote:
> You are obviously convinced that using a command line interface
> can't be protected by copyright. Why, then, are you so persistent in
> insisting that other interfaces somehow are awarded such protection?
Whether or not a specific interface is covered by copyright is
necessarily jurisdictionally dependent.
A conservative tack is to assume that if there's any creative
component at all, then there is a possibility of copyright. [Even that
may not go far enough, as some things that are devoid of creativity
may have the protection of copyright in specific localities, cf. the
database directive.]
If you wish to say that there is no copyright protection for a
specific instance in a specific jurisdiction, that may indeed be the
case,[1] but it's quite irresponsible to claim that it is so for all
jurisdictions.
Don Armstrong
1: If it is so, I'd strongly suggest finding relevant case law or
talking to a lawyer before using this to take actions which would be
infringing if a copyright actually did exist.
--
Quite the contrary; they *love* collateral damage. If they can make
you miserable enough, maybe you'll stop using email entirely. Once
enough people do that, then there'll be no legitimate reason left for
anyone to run an SMTP server, and the spam problem will be solved.
-- Craig Dickson in <20020909231134.GA18917@linux700.localnet>
http://www.donarmstrong.com http://rzlab.ucr.edu
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