From: Gordon J. Holtslander (holtsg@duke.usask.ca)
Date: 03/10/01-10:06:50 PM Z
The introductory message sent to every new subscriber indicates that all
mesages sent to this list are archived.
I have always assumed that the list messages are in the public domain.
The messages are not between private individuals, but between an
individual and a group - the group being whomever is currently subscribed
to this list. Anyone is free to join and leave this group at any time.
I equate sending a message to the list as to be the same as sending a
message to the general public. I have always assumed that posting a
message on the list is essentially giving it away with no compensation
expected.
Just because this is what I think doesn't mean its legally binding of
course.
Maybe I should try to "copyleft" all the list messages, by that I mean I
could copyright the list transactions under terms on the GNU General
Public License (GPL) see http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html .
The basic idea of the GPL is to put a body of work into the public domain,
with the added provision that anyone who redistributes that work with or
without changes, must pass along the freedom to further copy and change
it.
This would insure that everyone interested can use the list transactions
as they wish, as long as they don't attempt to limit its use by others.
It would prevent someone from publishing the list archives, copyright them
and prevent others from making copies.
Under the GPL it would be prefectly legal to publish the archives and sell
it (provided permission from all involved was arranged), but it would also
be perfectly legal for someone else to make copies of this work and give
it away.
More info on copyleft at http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
Gord
---------------------------------------------------------
Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada S7N 5E2
---------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : 04/02/01-09:55:25 AM Z CST