Re: [ADMIN] Copyright issues

From: Admin of The Keep (dkoepke@california.com)
Date: 10/17/96


On Thu, 17 Oct 1996, Steve Reeves wrote:

> Just as a miscellanious-useless piece of information.. that idea has
> actually been around a while and is called a "Poor Man's Copyright" and
> offers less protection than a "real" one.  [I dunno the differences, but I
> read it once on a web page that talked about the whole Internet-copyright
> thing TSR started up a few years back when they realized people on the
> Internet/BBSes were using 'copyrighted' terms like the word 'Dungeons' and
> 'Dragons' .. heh.. they seemingly ignored a court order to stop that
> foolishness.. actually, I'm not to sure what happened.. I just know TSR is
> still on that wierd power trip]  :>

  Mailing yourself something is not a copyright.  It's a method of proving
  that you had it before someone else.  It's certainly far from fool-proof
  but that's not the point.

  Everything is copyright unless you EXPLICITLY *SAY* that it isn't.   You
  do not need to go through any method to copyright, you don't need to put
  Copyriht 1996 by <whatever> nor All rights reserved.  As long you  don't
  say, "this is public domain," it's copyright. 

  And TSR never tried to copyright words -- you can't copyright words.   I
  wouldn't doubt that they attempted to trademark some ordinary, every-day
  words.  (BTW, I mean that I can't copyright the word, "I," and make  all
  the people that ever say, "I," pay me royalities)  TSR is still making a
  foolish attempt at regulating everything that ever came from their brain
  and has reappeared somewhere else.  For instance, "Drow," is not against
  the law to use, but a Drow with a specific eye color, hair color,   skin
  color, living place, etc. that matches those of the drows in TSR's impl-
  imentation is.

  TSR attempts to copyright everything; they don't realize that you can't.


  <*=-+Daniel+-=*>
  "Forgive me father, for I am sin."


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