[1381] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Comments on Gutenberg Newsletter
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Fri Oct 2 10:49:38 1992
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 09:34:49 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
3 Messages, 57 Lines
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From: bkatz@cosy.uoguelph.ca
Subject: on Gutenberg Ne
Ernest Perez, U of Texas at Dallas, has come close to the mark re Michael
Hart's unusual restrictive "copyright notice". Though I'm not as familiar
with the U.S. law as I am with Canadian copyright legislation, I would say
that issuing his message on a list that is wide open for membership is tan-
tamount to publication (defined in Canadian law as "issuing copies to the
public" - not necessarily for payment in return). Thus Hart's words are
published and should come under the general rules of copyright. Even those
who join PACS-L after his message has been issued are permitted to retrieve
it from the archived files, merely by being joined to the list. So I view
Hart as being within his "rights" re copying his messages to other lists or
even storing them in more than one place as a member -- presumably one can
store one copy, as the copy or meta-copy actually received. And presumably
by virtue of joining the list and issuing a message Hart is in agreement with
this AND with the archiving process that takes place within the list's opera-
tion. BUT, there's no way he can prevent me from showing anyone that copy of
his messages that I hold in my "file" (on my shelf) that was issued to me!
Bernard Katz, U of Guelph Library
Guelph, Ontario
bkatz@cosy.uoguelph.ca
*-----
From: "Peter Graham, Rutgers U., (908) 932-2741" <GRAHAM@ZODIAC.BITNET>
Subject: BBS and copyright
PEMMONS@WCU makes some comments in the recent article "comments on Gutenberg
Newsletter", i.e.:
>
>Before one can register on any responsibly run computer BBS, one must read and
acknowledge a disclaimer to the effect that the BBS carries NO PRIVATE
MESSAGES. There is a standard paragraph of legalese covering this which a
sysop had better present to all his callers or risk liability, thanks to
Congress and the FCC.<
I'm not familiar with such legalese; could he expand a bit on that, with
references, please?
*-----
From: <KINGH@SNYSYRV1>
Subject: RE: Comments on Gutenberg Newsletter
I believe you can quote anything from a public forum, just as you can quote
from a book. Any of us can choose to quote Mike or paraphrase his messages --
copyright or no copyright. PACS-L is an electronic discussion open to the
public on the public record. What would newspaper reporters think of a
candidate who gave a speech but said that no one could quote him until he
gave his or her permission because the speech had to be "polished up" first?
Hannah King
SUNY HSC Library at Syracuse
kingh@snysyrv1
kingh@vax.cs.hscsyr.edu
