Re: A Little Linguistic Playground

On Sat, 27 Mar 1999, David Dillard <jwne[_at_]astro.temple.edu> wrote:
>
> On Fri, 12 Mar 1999, Oliver Seely <oliver[_at_]dhvx20.csudh.edu> wrote:
> >
> > I love it!
> >
> > Copyright (c) 1999 by Oliver Seely and decopyrighted immediately
> > thereafter.
> >
> > Ought we not to have a special symbol for this process?
>
> Could a possible symbol for the process of decopyrighting be a
> picture of a photocopy machine, or perhaps the image of a web page?

David,

  While you are at it, please come up with a symbol that allows anyone who does not believe in stop signs to be allowed to go through them without stopping. I know that it is the law to stop at stop signs, just like it is the law when a copyright attaches. But if anyone can do away with a law by just inventing a symbol, please come up with one for stop signs too.

  Silly? You bet. But thinking that you can selectively "decopyright" is just as silly...

  Rarely do I give legal advice on the net, but here is one time I will. Never, never use a work that contains some sort of "decopyright" symbol or language, unless you know that your use is allowed under "fair use", or unless you have a license that you have negotiated with the author, and you know the author is the true author.

-- 
Thomas E. Workman Jr.
41 Harrison Street
Taunton, MA 02780

EMAIL: tworkman[_at_]erols.com
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