Re-using copyrighted code

[Mark Janssen]

> (Digression follows.) ...(by Gilbert and
> Sullivan - one of my other loves), and according to US law at the
> time, the publication (in this case, public performance, along with
> the public sale of libretti (books of the words) and some sheet music)
> of the work voided the authors' claim to ownership.
> Came across a nice little history of copyright here:
> http://www.edwardsamuels.com/illustratedstory/isc10.htm
> Or if you're curious about how copyright applied to the works of
> Gilbert and Sullivan, join Savoynet -
> http://savoynet.oakapplepress.com/ - and ask. There are plenty of
> experts around.

Thank you for that reference.

> In any case, that's all ancient history now. Unless someone can cite a
> jurisdiction that still maintains that publication relinquishes all
> rights of ownership, I would assume that things remain in copyright.

My apologies, if any of my writing wasn't clear.  By no means did I
wish to suggest that publication relinquishes copyright -- only that
the author's actions eliminate some natural protections afforded by
non-publication.  This is just common sense.  If I'm a game developer
and release my game to the public, I expose it to some risk -- that
just the trade-off of getting noticed.  FairUse explicitly allows
others to derive works from yours and you're going to have to accept
that to some degree, but copyright requires that they give you credit
and if they make money from your work you may be due proceeds.  But
here is where Lawrence Lessig is way ahead of the crowd.  FairUse
should mean "ShareAlike".

-- 
MarkJ
Tacoma, Washington