[Tutor] Lengthy copyright notices?

[David L Neil]

On 18/07/19 10:08 AM, Alan Gauld via Tutor wrote:
> On 17/07/2019 21:01, David L Neil wrote:
> 
>> One line offers plenty of space to exert a claim (such can be very
>> simple and does not need to be lawyer-speak!) which should also refer to
>> the template's/package's external file or web-page.
> 
> Yes, I've seen that and if the lawyer speak is very verbose its
> a good compromise.
> 
>> Aside from possibly irritating 'the good guys', does such really 'stop'
>> a determined rapscallion?
> 
> Nothing will stop a determined rapscallion(love that phrase! ;-)
> But it lets the good guys know who to contact at least if they
> do need to.
> For example, in my last book the publishers required me to
> get a disclaimer from the author of some open source files
> even though they clearly stated they could be used for any
> purpose. Having the copyright notice with email link made
> that easy.


Open source:
I've had the same - even for short "shazzam" or "drum-roll-please" 
sound-clips (which advertisers use all the time - who can name the 
pieces of music without saying "The lady loves Milk Tray" or "British 
Airways"?). That said, internationally there are many definitions and 
variations of "fair use" - and some jurisdictions don't even recognise 
such a thing! (I think the British law is quite 'tight').

I refused such a request?instruction, suggesting that the publishers AND 
their lawyers should enter 'the real world' and learn to understand 
(?and embrace) "open" concepts. In response to the inevitable grumpy 
push-back, I pointed-out that I am an author/content-producer and not 
legally-trained (not quite true, but they don't know that) so why on 
earth would they take MY advice...

Another one is 'images', which as a keen (amateur) photographer I 
readily understand from both 'sides'  - which simply meant that in a fit 
of pique at the aforementioned KYA-bureaucrats, I made a point of 
copyrighting EVERY training diagram/illustration/code-snippet that I 
produced and then REQUIRED 'the blighters' to license them from me...
(yet insisted that such be 'free' for trainees to download for their own 
use) Hah!


Closed source:
I was once contacted by someone who had hold of a small system I'd 
written way back in the mists-of-time. How, they ever obtained it, I 
can't imagine. The 'license' clearly said "no license", but he wanted to 
negotiate - which was great (although sadly, the client still "owned" 
the software, so no 'winning the lottery' for me then!)


-- 
Regards =dn