vax2:mikio (12/14/82)
As an attorney dealing in the software protection area which includes
copyrights, I would like to ease some of the fears regarding the above and
assist in the free flow of information via the net.
While the 1976 copyright law (which came into effect in 1978) is so
new that there are a limited number of decided cases, there are some general
guidelines which would apply to the net.
Copying for criticism, comment, & news reporting is generally considered
acceptable fair use. The same is true to a more limited extent for copying
for teaching, scholarship, and research (there are a number of factors to
be evaluated so the question of fair use is usually determined on a case by
case basis).
Under the 1901 Copyright Act, the maximum life of a copyright was 56
years from the date of publication. Under the current law, it is the life
of the author plus 50 years; for commissioned works, it is the shorter of
75 years from publication or 100 years from creation. Upon expiration of
the copyright, everyone is free to make copies without restriction.
The copyright law gives no protection for ideas, plans, method, systems,
or devices apart from the particular manner in which they are expressed or
described in writing. It doesnot protect words and short phrases; lists of
ingredients or contents; works designed for recording information; or works
containing no original authorship such as schedules or information taken from
public documents or other common sources.
Mikio Ishimaru (Mr)
Patent Counsel