Re: [NTLK] Copyright protection

From: Brian (bmcewen_at_mediaone.net)
Date: Thu Sep 06 2001 - 09:27:09 EDT


>How are they supposed to _do_ this?? I mean, if I write a piece of
>commercial or shareware software, I can put a copyright notice in the about
>window telling everybody that I'm retaining the copyright and expect
>people to pay for using it, but how am I supposed to actually protect my
>software from infringement if I don't want any nagging screens, trial
>periods,

I think you are asking 2 questions: retaining copyright and enforcing
shareware fees from the people who really do use it a lot.

Copyright: well none of boilerplate really DOES much anyway if someone big
like MSoft wanted to grab your item and incorporate it, they'd just DO it.
If you'd included the standard shareware/copyright blurb saying "hey test
this if you like it then do the right thing and register but all the code
is really copyright me" you could always take them to court to enforce your
copyright. Like Victor said, US law, it's up to the holder to do any
enforcing. Lack of enforcement actually removes the validity of your
copyright, after enough time/insert special condition ,IIRC (like Victor,
IAMAL, chance of garble is high).

Like the guy who years ago patented the "pause" windshield wiper thing.
Ford glommed onto it, used it without honoring his earlier paperwork. 15?
20? years later the guy finally wins his lawsuit and gets $$ from Ford.
but it took a LOT of effort on his part. Patent and not copyright, but I
don't know a similar copyright issue :)

But for your shareware stuff, find some (non-copyright :) boilerplate, and
that's about all most people do. If DotClock like features are in
WinXP-II, it's up to you do follow thru :)

In terms of people using it without paying, well you've summed up the way
that shareware authors usually employ. For me, I like a time limit/counter
that lets me know how much I have really used the app. Some apps (Yazi,
pt100 for example) I wouldn't have really realized how much I was fiddling
with it without the time limit per session. So I registered; I was really
using it a lot. Some apps, I've had the demo for years and never run out
of the trial time or connects or whatever (Inkspot has 20? left or so,
after 2 years, for example. Basically, I don't ever use it). NewtDB is
another. Great app, I loaded a bunch of stuff into it in the demo mode,
and never actually used the data since I found another solution. But I
know I can get at it if I want it (he has a feature that wakens the 15 day
demo if you haven't run the app for 6 months or something) and if I start
needing my restriction enzyme dbase on the Newt again, I'll register and
have at it.

B

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