On 16-Nov-99 Thomas Lockhart wrote:
>> > > I notice that the postgresql docs say that postgresql is a public domain
>> > > program, while they really carry a Berkley copyright. You might want to
>> > > correct this for the next release.
>> > > http://www.bbin.com/pd/
>> > Ooh. I guess I'm not familiar with the fine points here. Our
>> > Berkeley-style license allows use, modification, sale, gift, theft,
>> > etc. of the software with only one provision: that the copyright
>> > notice remain intact. Clearly, this copyright notice is designed to
>> > protect UCB from rabid lawyers once the software is no longer under
>> > UCB's control, and this copyright allows any and all of the above
>> > uses, and any other use also.
>> > So what about this would not be considered public domain software?
>> Something can not be both Copyrighted and in the public domain.
>
> Hmm. I've taken this on-list, just in case someone else has a comment.
> But in the absence of alternate information, I'll just assume that we
> are not public domain software. But I sure still have the feeling that
> we are getting gypped by the legaleze.
IIRC, All copyright notices must be kept intact. Software in the public
domain carries no protection whatsoever. PD software can be taken and
renamed to whatever by the person that renamed it and claimed to be their
own property. This happened to the WinVN project at least once (it's a
PD Windows newsreader). At least one commercial project came directly
from the WinVN sources - which are in the public domain.
Vince.
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