Subject: Re: default copyright for docs?
To: Jan Schaumann <jschauma@netbsd.org>
From: Perry E. Metzger <perry@wasabisystems.com>
List: netbsd-docs
Date: 05/29/2002 16:30:00
Jan Schaumann <jschauma@netbsd.org> writes:
> Well, the files in which it's explicitly mentioned are the obivous case.
> My question was if there is a default copyright that applies if not
> mentioned.  The reason I ask is that we have somebody from the LFS ask
> www@ regarding using bindresvport.3, which has no copyright notice
> whatsoever.
> 
> So if no copyright exists (cgd just confirmed to me that the original
> from which he imported this file did not have any copyright notice
> either), I assume we consider it public domain?

Under the international copyright treaties both our countries have
signed, mere absence of a copyright notice does not place a work in
the public domain. The default assumption is that something cannot be
copied, not that it is public domain. All works are "born copyrighted".

If there is a file in the distribution that doesn't have a proper
copyright, you should get someone to find out where it came from and
have a proper copyright added.


--
Perry E. Metzger		perry@wasabisystems.com
--
NetBSD: The right OS for your embedded design. http://www.wasabisystems.com/