Newsgroups: comp.software.licensing Path: nntp.gmd.de!newsserver.jvnc.net!nntpserver.pppl.gov!princeton!udel! MathWorks.Com!yeshua.marcam.com!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!csusac!csus.edu! netcom.com!joey From: j...@netcom.com (Joseph P. Jarosz) Subject: Copyright Notice in Source code Message-ID: <joeyCvr1qt.72C@netcom.com> Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1] Date: Wed, 7 Sep 1994 07:49:40 GMT Lines: 9 Hi there, I am about to distribute some software in source code form that I wish to retain copyright to. My question is what do I have to put in the copyright notice to protect myself? I have looked at several other pieces of software and noticed no consistency. thanx, joey
Path: nntp.gmd.de!Germany.EU.net!EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!news.cac.psu.edu! news.pop.psu.edu!ra!bdcm40.nrl.navy.mil!user From: head...@bdcv9.nrl.navy.mil (Kim Headlee) Newsgroups: comp.software.licensing Subject: Re: Copyright Notice in Source code Followup-To: comp.software.licensing Date: 7 Sep 1994 13:30:37 GMT Organization: BDC, Naval Research Lab Lines: 41 Message-ID: <headlee-070994095225@bdcm40.nrl.navy.mil> References: <joeyCvr1qt.72C@netcom.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: bdcm40.nrl.navy.mil Joey, In article <joeyCvr1qt....@netcom.com>, j...@netcom.com (Joseph P. Jarosz) wrote: > I am about to distribute some software in source code form that I wish > to retain copyright to. My question is what do I have to put in the > copyright notice to protect myself? I don't have any of my "official" copyright law sources here with me, so I'll be speaking strictly off the top of my head. If I get any of this wrong, I'm sure someone else will correct me! 1. Accepted practice to invoke common-law copyright is to include the phrase "Copyright (c)" followed by the year(s). Like so: Copyright (c) 1994. (The "(c)" is perfectly okay to substitute for the "c-in-a-circle" symbol.) I remember reading in a MAC users' magazine several months ago that you need only give the date every three years; for example: Copyright (c) 1991, 1994. I've seen this interval vary with different products, books, etc. 2. Common-law copyrighting will not hold up in court in a plagarism suit, because it does not constitute proof of creation date. I've seen much discussion revolving around whether you can use the postal service to mail yourself a copy of your disk or manuscript or whatever, and the general wisdom was that that, too, can be faked (see a recent post by JMingo in misc.writing). If you feel you need ironclad protection, you can register your *completed* work with the Copyright Office for a modest fee (around $20, if memory serves). I make a point about the idea of completion because it's a Copyright Office stipulation, and . . . since when is software ever completed? ;-) If you'd like me to dig up the info regarding formal copyright registration, please let me know. -- Kim D. Headlee (head...@bdcv9.nrl.navy.mil) DBA, Backgrounds Data Center Naval Research Lab, Washington D.C. 202/767-9010
Newsgroups: comp.software.licensing Path: nntp.gmd.de!xlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov! ucla-cs!twinsun!eggert From: egg...@twinsun.com (Paul Eggert) Subject: Re: Copyright Notice in Source code Message-ID: <CvtqJM.I7@twinsun.com> Sender: use...@twinsun.com Nntp-Posting-Host: spot Organization: Twin Sun Inc, El Segundo, CA, USA References: <joeyCvr1qt.72C@netcom.com> <headlee-070994095225@bdcm40.nrl.navy.mil> Date: Thu, 8 Sep 1994 18:40:32 GMT Lines: 9 head...@bdcv9.nrl.navy.mil (Kim Headlee) writes: (The "(c)" is perfectly okay to substitute for the "c-in-a-circle" symbol.) Since when? I had always understood that in the US, proper notice must use `Copyright', `Copr.', or c-in-a-circle, and that only c-in-a-circle has international validity. Reference: William Strong, `The Copyright Book: A Practical Guide' (MIT Press, 1981), p. 58. Have the rules changed recently?