Re: Public Domain and Packaging

["Anthony W. Youngman" <debian@thewolery.demon.co.uk>]

In message 
<[🔎] 1121724807.11772.50.camel@stonewall.crustytoothpaste.ath.cx>, Brian M. 
Carlson <sandals@crustytoothpaste.ath.cx> writes
> > There is no such thing as software that isn't copyrighted.  All original
> > expression that is fixed in a tangible form is immediately copyrighted (at
> > least, that's the U.S. rule).  There is still lots of debate as to whether it
> > is possible to disclaim that copyright...  but there is no question that it
> > is, at the moment of creation, copyrighted.
>
> False.  You, as a lawyer-to-be, should know better than to be imprecise.
> U.S. Government software is not copyrighted, and cannot be so,
> excepting, of course, the United States Postal Service, which is granted
> an exception under 19 U.S.C.

I gather that's false too :-)

The rule, afaict (and I'm not an American), is that copyright *cannot* 
*be* *enforced*, which is not the same thing at all ...

Cheers,
Wol
--
Anthony W. Youngman - wol at thewolery dot demon dot co dot uk
HEX wondered how much he should tell the Wizards. He felt it would not be a
good idea to burden them with too much input. Hex always thought of his reports
as Lies-to-People.
The Science of Discworld : (c) Terry Pratchett 1999