Re: RFS: Thousand Parsec packages.

[Arnoud Engelfriet <arnoud@engelfriet.net>]

Ben Finney wrote:
> My understanding is that a copyright declaration on the work makes it
> easier to prove to a court that the recipient knows that the work *is*
> copyrighted to the specified entity, and that the copyright is
> current.

"Furthermore, in the event that a work is infringed, if the work carries a
proper notice, the court will not give any weight to a defendant's
interposition of an innocent infringement defense.that is, that he or she
did not realize that the work was protected. An innocent infringement
defense may result in a reduction in damages that the copyright owner would
otherwise receive."
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ03.html

This innocent infringement defense is section 504(c)(2) of the 
Copyright Act (17 USC).
"... In a case where the infringer sustains the burden of proving, and the
court finds, that such infringer was not aware and had no reason to believe
that his or her acts constituted an infringement of copyright, the court in
its discretion may reduce the award of statutory damages to a sum of not
less than $200. ..."
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/504.html

Arnoud

-- 
Arnoud Engelfriet, Dutch & European patent attorney - Speaking only for myself
Patents, copyright and IPR explained for techies: http://www.iusmentis.com/
              Arnoud blogt nu ook: http://blog.iusmentis.com/