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From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.apps,comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.os.linux.x,comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Why to not buy Matrox Millennium
Date: 28 Mar 1996 03:50:18 GMT
Organization: Utah Valley State College, Orem, Utah
Lines: 39
Message-ID: <4jd29q$19u@park.uvsc.edu>
References: <4j21ph$crr@slappy.cs.utexas.edu> <4j3muv$34m@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu> <4j3v64$1rq@virtech.aib.com> <4j7dg2$t3t@moacs11.moacs.indiv.nl.net> <3158D764.4A7C@vfr.interceptor.com>
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"Thumper!" <thumper@vfr.interceptor.com> wrote:
] Waldi Ravens wrote:
] > > 1) It's illegal.
] >
] > Boy, have I got news for you. Unlike you believe, USA laws do not aplly
] > to the whole universe. They only apply to the USA. But most likely you
] > wouldn't even know that other countries exist.
]
] Most nations of the world (including all European countries, Japan, Australia
] and New Zealand) are in fact signatories of the Bern Act. The USA was an
] extreme latecomer in signing the Bern Act, having only signed it in late 1988
] (taking effect March 1st, 1989).
]
] The Bern act effectively says that everything is copyrighted unless expressly
] NOT intended for copyright. (Prior laws in the US, for example, required that
] copyrights be applied for, and then renewed at intervals).
]
] Again, consult specialized counsel in these areas, but again, remember, you are
] still inherently on the far side of the grey area.
1) "Berne", not "Bern"
2) "Copyright Convention", not "Act"
3) Reverse engineering is a matter of local law; in the EU
(formerly the ECC), it is legal to disassemble code in
violation of license for the purposes of documenting
interfaces. It is also legal elsewhere.
4) Shrink wrap licensing has been struck down in every state
in the United States, except two. The "agreement" under
discussion is a shrink wrap license.
Terry Lambert
terry@cs.weber.edu
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.