pbr@mcnc.org (Peter Reintjes) (05/27/90)
This posting has a threefold purpose:
1) To announce the availability of a VHDL Parser in Prolog.
2) To make a statement regarding the legal status of this software.
3) To announce my new job and location on the network.
People who do not know me and have no interest in VLSI/CAD
applications in Prolog need not read any further (unless you
are a masochist and want to read my diatribe on copyrights).
1)
I have a VHDL parser/formatter written in Prolog.
It is compatible with Quintus and SICStus Prolog
and a slightly modified version has been run on
ARITY (DOS).
The VHDL Parser is available as vhdl.tar.Z by
anonymous FTP from mcnc.mcnc.org (128.109.130.3).
(If you want the DOS version, contact me directly).
2)
What I am about to say strikes me as incredibly
obvious, but since I have never seen it written
on the network, I feel obliged to say it:
The source code and documentation for the VHDL
parser is Copyrighted 1990 by Peter Reintjes.
Not only does this have nothing to do with the so-called
Copyleft concept, but I must admit that I do not understand
what the Copyleft concept is. When someone begins a
paragraph by stating that something is in the public domain
and then ends the paragraph by describing some supposed legal
restrictions (such as -- can not be used for profit, etc.)
they are demonstrating a woeful ignorance of the law.
As far as my own software products are concerned,
anyone who wishes to use my VHDL parser for research,
experimentation, product prototyping, etc., is welcome
to do so. People frequently use information in (copyrighted)
books to accomplish these tasks. In this regard, running my
program is like reading a book. Everyone who `reads' a copy
of my `book' need not pay me or even tell me that you are doing
it. The only differnce is that `copies' of my book are
available for free (picture a pile of bookstore remainders
marked down 100%, they are still copyrighted).
If, however, you intend to derive financial gain from
using or copying this software, you are legally bound
by Copyright law to aquire my permission to do so.
Even if you derive financial gain simply from running
my program (comparable with performing a play -- you are not
exactly selling copies of the text, but you are selling
performances!), I have no fear that the copyright laws are
sufficient to protect my rights.
The above statement is not an `agreement' to be read and
agreed to before using my software, many people will
probably use my software without reading the above statement.
It is simply a statement of the legal facts.
People who have not read this statement are
subject to the same laws as people who have. The software
itself contains a simple copyright notice, if anyone is
unclear about what the copyright notice means or the penalties
for removing that notice should have no trouble getting
this information from a lawyer.
I believe that anyone likely to use this software for
monetary gain will have every reason to contact me and license
the software for this purpose. Anyone not making money can
do as they please, and I sincerely hope that they find
it useful.
See, nothing to sign, no muss, no fuss, but, I repeat,
this software is not in the public domain.
Thanks for listening,
Peter Reintjes
3) Please address all correspondence to my new USENET address
Formerly of the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina
( pbr@mcnc.org OLD ADDRESS )
Shortly to be an employee of Quintus Computer Systems, Inc.
( ingr!deerfeld!pbr@uunet.UU.NET )
(407) 498-2809