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- From: John Cowan <cowan@locke.ccil.org>
- To: XML Dev <xml-dev@ic.ac.uk>
- Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 14:18:01 -0400
Henry S. Thompson wrote:
> In any case, as it stands a DTD is a document, and documents are ipso
> facto copyright by their authors. You're certainly correct that if I
> made a rational reconstruction of the DocBook or TEI DTD
> functionality, I'd be on pretty safe ground,
You would.
> and even if I expanded
> all the parameter entity references of e.g. the TEI under a given set
> of switch settings, I might be able to get away with redistribution of
> the result, although that's MUCH less clear.
No, you would not, except as provided by some copyright license with
TEI's copyright owners. As I posted before, the right to make
derivative works is a component part of the bundle of rights that
the copyright owner has.
> The parallel with QuickSort is illuminating. If I redistribute YOUR
> awk implementation of QuickSort, with our without relabling some of
> the variables, I've violated your copyright. If I code QuickSort
> myself in perl, I'm just fine.
Correct. However, if the algorithm were patented (which it is not),
you would have other problems.
> If I use a2p on your source and
> redistribute the results, the lawyers will have a field day.
It's only the other fella's lawyers who will have a field day.
Your lawyer will tell you to settle, and quick. Running a2p
over a document is just like translating it into French --- you
can't distribute the result without a license.
BTW, these are all international (i.e. Berne convention) rules,
not local law.
--
John Cowan http://www.ccil.org/~cowan cowan@ccil.org
You tollerday donsk? N. You tolkatiff scowegian? Nn.
You spigotty anglease? Nnn. You phonio saxo? Nnnn.
Clear all so! 'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)
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