Re: public domain question

On Wed, 12 Apr 2000, Tyler T. Ochoa <tochoa[_at_]law.whittier.edu> wrote:
>
> On 04/10/2000, Neil Wilkof <wilkofnj[_at_]inter.net.il> wrote:
> >
> > "The public did". Which means what, exactly?
>
> To me, it means that the public (i.e., any member of the public) can
> reproduce the design and sell the resulting copies; can adapt the
> design for other purposes; and can publicly display it, without
> permission from or royalties paid to anyone else.
>
> The same may be true if "no one" owns it; but by phrasing public
> ownership in the affirmative, I hope to establish that the public has
> rights that cannot be divested by other means, such as access controls
> and adhesion contracts.

But it can't be as easy as how I phrase it. I can call a "cow" a "duck" if I want; it is still a member of the bovine family. Surely there must be a more substantial way to determine the nature of this "public ownership?"

--
Neil Wilkof
Law Offices of Neil J. Wilkof
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Israel

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Email: wilkofnj[_at_]inter.net.il


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