Posted by SphereMaker on August 09, 1999 at 13:31:06:
In Reply to: Re: The official text reads: posted by Nobody really on August 09, 1999 at 10:44:58:
You can do one of two things. There is an implicit copyright on all written materials that applies as soon as the work is "published" (in this case placed on the Internet) and is legally binding. A common example of this kind of non-registered copyright would be a published newspaper, magazine, flyer, etc. Your second option is to submit it to the Library of Congress (you can go get the forms at your local post office in the US or in federal buildings). : And as long as you're not selling an area (ie using it on a pay-to-play MUD) I don't really see what the problem is. Unfortunately the courts won't agree with you. Phrases like "unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws" are legally binding whether you agree with them or not. : Anyways, it's not like Dioxide is going to be sued, well, he could be but it wouldn't stand up in any real court of law seeing as how he downloaded it from a public FTP site. Actually, it would stand up in a court of law. Most likely you could plead ignorance and would be forced to destroy all copies of the work and sign an affidavit that you no longer possessed or were distributing copies of the work. I agree with Nepenthe, it really should just be a matter of respect. I doubt Lillith would sue Dioxide (unless it became a matter of principle) and most likely everyone can respect one another's wishes and comply. As Saerin points out below, the FTP site would likely be more to blame for unauthorized distribution. Remember a while back when connecting to the Microsoft web pages resulted in them scanning your PC for pirated software? If you got caught you could say "hey, I wasn't selling it, what's the big deal?" You can take a guess as to whether or not that was a valid excuse.
: Where do you call up to copyright an area on a MUD?