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Fri Dec 26 17:35:21 PST 2008


* software dedicated to the public domain
* software created by the U.S.  Government
* software whose copyright has expired
and
* software in the  public domain because it was published before 1989 without 
a valid  copyright
 
Section C. 1. Explains when software is published:
 
Software is published for copyright purposes when it is sold, licensed,  
rented, lent, given away, or otherwise distributed to the public.  
--cut--
However, publication occurs only when software is made avalible  to the 
general public on an unrestricted basis.
 
Section D. Is the Software in the Public Domain Due to Lack of a Copyright  
Notice.
 
Another relatively small group of public domain software is software  
published in the United States before March 1, 1989 without a valid copyright  
notice. Before March 1, 1989 all works initially published in the United States  had 
to contain a copyright notice or they entered the public domain
unless  the lack of notice was excused for some reason.
 
A copyright notice consists of a "c" in a circle or the word Copyright or  
abbreviation Copr., the year of publication, and the copyright owner's name --  
for example
© 1985 by Phil Fates.
 
Copyright notices for software can be found in a variety of places,  
including:
 
* the package or box the software comes in
* the manual or other  documention
* the computer disks or other media containing the software
*  the computer screens
 
 
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<DIV>&gt;<BR>&gt;This is an oversimplification -- elsewhere in that same=20
document it's<BR>&gt;noted that registration of copyright without a notice w=
as=20
also<BR>&gt;sufficient under the 1976 act.&nbsp; </DIV>
<DIV>I pointed that out in my 1st post.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&gt;Also, the document continues to say,</DIV>
<DIV>&gt;in the event that a work is infringed, if a proper<BR>&gt;notice of=
=20
copyright appears on the published copy or copies to<BR>&gt;which a defendan=
t in=20
a copyright infringement suit had access,<BR>&gt;then no weight shall be giv=
en=20
to such a defendant's interposition<BR>&gt;of a defense based on innocent=20
infringement in mitigation<BR>&gt;of actual or statutory damages=20
[...]<BR>&gt;]]</DIV>
<DIV><BR>&gt;What this is saying is the same thing I said -- the lack of=20
a<BR>&gt;copyright notice does not place a work in the public=20
domain.<BR>&gt;Instead, it limits the damages, because people can claim=20
that<BR>&gt;they didn't know the work was copyright.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>You are misunderstanding that. The lack of a copyright notice does inde=
ed=20
place&nbsp;a work (published in the United States prior to March 1, 1989) in=
to=20
the public domain.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>From the law book: "The Public Domain", Nolo Press, by attorney Stephen=
=20
Fishman:</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>In Chapter 8: Computer Software<BR>In the chapter introduction:<BR>Publ=
ic=20
Domain Software falls into the following categories:</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>* software dedicated to the public domain<BR>* software created by the=20=
U.S.=20
Government<BR>* software whose copyright has expired<BR>and<BR>* software in=
 the=20
public domain because it was published before 1989 without a valid=20
copyright</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Section C. 1. Explains when software is published:</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Software is published for copyright purposes when it is sold, licensed,=
=20
rented, lent, given away, or otherwise distributed to the public.=20
<BR>--cut--<BR>However, publication occurs only when software is made avalib=
le=20
to the general public on an unrestricted basis.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Section D. Is the Software in the Public Domain Due to Lack of a Copyri=
ght=20
Notice.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Another relatively small group of public domain software is software=20
published in the United States before March 1, 1989 without a valid copyrigh=
t=20
notice. Before March 1, 1989 all works initially published in the United Sta=
tes=20
had to contain a copyright notice or they entered the public domain<BR>unles=
s=20
the lack of notice was excused for some reason.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>A copyright notice consists of a "c" in a circle or the word Copyright=20=
or=20
abbreviation Copr., the year of publication, and the copyright owner's name=20=
--=20
for example<BR>&amp;copy; 1985 by Phil Fates.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Copyright notices for software can be found in a variety of places,=20
including:</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>* the package or box the software comes in<BR>* the manual or other=20
documention<BR>* the computer disks or other media containing the software<B=
R>*=20
the computer screens</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV CLASS=3D"aol_ad_footer" ID=3D"5dc5f=
fa1f3a02640ad6ad1d88539e1e"><FONT style=3D"color: black; font: normal 10pt A=
RIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 10px">One site keeps you connecte=
d to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. <a href=3D"http://www.=
aol.com/?optin=3Dnew-dp&icid=3Daolcom40vanity&ncid=3Demlcntaolcom00000025">T=
ry it now</a>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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