Subject: Re: copyright and license issues
To: Daniel de Kok <danieldk@pobox.com>
From: Thor Lancelot Simon <tls@rek.tjls.com>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 10/10/2004 12:31:41
On Sun, Oct 10, 2004 at 07:04:02PM +0200, Daniel de Kok wrote:
> >As I said, I personally think it's far better to just put very small
> >files in the public domain.  Then the issue goes away completely.
> 
> You cannot put works in the public domain in many countries (expiration 
> is the only legal way for a work to enter the public domain in these 
> countries). And it can't be done easily in the US anymore as far as I 
> know. Cited from the Wikipedia:

Unfortunately, as with most subjects, the Wikipedia is not a reliable
source of information on this subject.  It's easy to place a work in
the public domain in the US: the author simply includes within the
work a statement identifying himself, the work, and "this [X] is
hereby dedicated to the public domain."

For those wishing to be even more certain, the Creative Commons folks
provide a registration service for "acts of renunciation", making it
even more clear that a given work is in the public domain.

Thor