Re: Copyright question

[David Kastrup <dak@...>]

Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo <lhf@tecgraf.puc-rio.br> writes:

>> To actually place something in the public domain, you need to _register_
>> it as such I think.  So most code claiming to be in the public domain
>> isn't.  It just has an expression of intent affixed to it.  If the
>> author dies and his heirs decide their intent is different, there is not
>> much you can do about that.
>
> For the record, I've updated the license section for my Lua tools:
> 	http://www.tecgraf.puc-rio.br/~lhf/ftp/lua/install.html#license
>
> Just in case I get run over by a bus or something today. :-)
>
> The intent remains to be as free as possible.

Make sure that the permission is placed on the copies.  "public domain",
like some webpage information, makes a statement about the software
regardless how you happen to come by it.  A license on the copy only
pertains to that copy (and copies legitimately made from that).  While
that is a less encompassing grant of rights (for example, it does not
extend to copies made without permission, like before the software
actually was released, or without consent of the person in possession of
the copy source), its legal implications are better defined.

The 1-clause BSD is pretty much that with a "don't remove the minimal
legally relevant info pertaining to author and conditions from the
source".

-- 
David Kastrup