drears@ardc.arpa (FSAC) (02/18/86)
I keep a library of functions that I use in programming. I built up these functions by writing them on my own, other people giving them to me, programming books, copy them from copyrighted source, and translating (or rewording) them from the proceeding. I understand by using them in my programs I might be violating copyright law by making dirivative works. Most of these functions are between 5-15 lines of code. I have the following questions: 1) If a translate or rewrite a function (but keeping the same idea) have I violated the copyright? After all ideas are not copyrightable only the specific expression of that idea. 2) I am employed by the govenment and the government owns all the programs I have written. Do they also own these individual functions? If they do can I claim they were written on my own time and merely given to my employer? Does that argument still hold since the military considers it's soldiers on duty 24 hrs a day? 3) Since a lot of the functions that were given to me by others have no copyright notice and probably are not registered can I legally assume they are in the Public Domain? Does the copyright holder loses his copyright by giving away copies without the notice? 4) Does the addition of a pirated function in a program taint the whole program or is does a reasonableness doctrine apply? 5) Lastly does "adverse possesion" cover copyrights? I realize these might be minor points but does anone have any insight. Dennis
glennrp@brl-tbd.arpa (TBD) (02/19/86)
Dennis, 1. There's a series of articles in IEEE MICRO over the last 2-3 years covering copyright law and its application or potential application to computer software. 2. The government has a claim to your software if you happened to use government equipment in developing it. 3. Anything of mine that you are using is in public domain as far as I am concerned. Glenn