Re: Asimov Mirror Sites Access Information

["Frank Townsend" <ftownsen@iamdigex.net>]

Incorrect.

The Copyright Act of 1976 anticipated the application of the copyright laws
to software and the 1980 amendments clearly indicate that computer programs
are copyrightable.  This was one of the reasons that Franklin lost in its
lawsuit with Apple.

Certainly, the authors of the Constitution knew nothing about computer
programs.  However, the courts have always interpreted the clause broadly
such that original works of authorship using new technologies are
incorporated within the law.

Although for emotional reasons software may *seem* different than books and
other works, the duration of its protection under the copyright law is
identical.


Frank Townsend

Paul Schlyter wrote in message <8gbr0i$mem$1@merope.saaf.se>...
>In article <Dk6W4.71$Xe.524457@dca1-nnrp1.news.digex.net>,
>Frank Townsend <ftownsen@iamdigex.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Why should Apple2 software be treated any differently?
>
>Perhaps because software ages much more rapidly than books?  The copyright
>laws were created for books, not for software.