covert@ihuxq.UUCP (covert) (06/08/84)
<heres to ih> How can Irv Hoffman copyright the mdm7xx programs. As I understand it the latest mdm740 is based upon the original work of Ward Christensen. Is Hoffman going to split his profits with Ward?? Also, how did Irv Hoffman get sole possension of the source code to mdm7xx?? I for one, will not buy Hoffman's version of mdm7xx even though I have been using the mdm7xx programs for years. BTW, if anyone has the source to mdm740 and wishes it translated to the Zilog mnemonics then I have a program called makez80 which does the translation.(A little plug for my program,he he he). Heres to hoping that public domain programs remain public. -- Richard Covert AT&T Bell Laboratories ...ihnp4!ihuxq!covert (312) 979-7488
dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (06/12/84)
>From: covert@ihuxq.UUCP (covert) Fri Jun 8 09:34:30 1984 >How can Irv Hoffman copyright the mdm7xx programs. As I understand >it the latest mdm740 is based upon the original work of Ward >Christensen. Is Hoffman going to split his profits with Ward?? > Heres to hoping that public domain programs remain public. Once a program (or anything) has been put into the public domain, it cannot be 'copyrighted'. Any changes, however, can be. For example, go to your neighborhood bookstore and pick up a copy of Moby Dick (or, better yet, The Bible, King James Version). You will probably find that it bears a copyright notice on the page following the title page. This copyright protects any original preface, foreward, footnotes, or the like inserted into the text. It also protects an abridgement if the work is abridged. But it clearly does not mean that you can claim copyright to the Bible (although that is something to think about...) (Mark Twain once made fun of Mary Baker Eddy for suing a publisher claiming copyright infringement when said publisher reprinted 'Science and Health' or some other Christian Science text. It seems Twain wanted to know how Eddy could claim divine authorship of the work and yet allege she was entitled to royalties.) I don't believe there's anything illegal about putting a copyright notice on a public domain work, unless someone could claim fraud. In any event, it is certainly of questionable ethics! I'm not a lawyer but I know what I like... D Gary Grady Duke University Computation Center, Durham, NC 27706 (919) 684-4146 USENET: {decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary