Re: This sentence is uncopyrightable (period).

On Wed, 2002-10-23 at 16:09, David Dailey wrote:
> Last week in a class on programming, I scribbled the following sentence
> into a web form I was demonstrating:
>
> (1)“This sentence is uncopyrightable.”

> [B] Let alpha refer to a copyrighted expression. May I publish an algorithm
> A and a string beta, for which A applied to beta yields alpha? Would I be
> guilty of contributory infringement or even primary infringment?
>
> We might be tempted to answer ‘yes’ since we might assume that I copied
> alpha in creating beta. But, on the other hand, I may produce beta through
> mental arithmetic:
> uif tnbmmftu dpqzsjhiubcmf fyqsfttjpo <= the smallest copyrightable
> expression
>
> The string at left was derived by adding 1 (mod 26) to each letter in the
> expression at right, and there is no reason that a physical copy of the
> original would have been created.
>
> Here’s an argument that I should not be guilty in the scenario raised in
> question [B]:
>
> (2)“the smallest copyrighted phrase”
>

Likewise, there could be cases where it's hard tell who is infringing:

http://www.memes.net/index.php3?request=displaypage&NodeID=367

(Of course, this falls apart under a contributory infringement analysis, but it's fun to think about).

-- 
-Dave Turner                    Stalk Me: 617 441 0668
"Maybe you think places like Vermont are maintained by 
the Quality Of Living fairy as a final reward for good 
capitalists?" -Chris Johnson