Re: Usenet and copyrights

[Paul Schultz <pschultz@med.wayne.edu>]

On 26 Aug 1997, Nathan Mates wrote:

> 
>    Sure, I have an explicit copyright which specifically disallows
> reselling my FAQs without explicit permission just to make it a real
> no-brainer as to how you should treat them. But, this boils down to
> the same old issue: the author has CONTROL over where their posts go.
> 

Nathan,

This reply isn't exactly to the current content of this thread
but it reminded me of a point that has troubled me lately....

I rarely comment on any of the postings in csa2 any longer but I
thought I'd make a rare reply in this case. Having been a long
time reader and participant in comp.sys.apple and its present
day descendents comp.sys.apple2.*, I have always thought it has
gone against the original ideas and spirit behind Usenet to
copyright a Usenet FAQ. Especially since the content of most all
the FAQs I've read over the years has been a compilation of a
multitude of user input. Granted, you have taken the Apple II
FAQ and done wonders with it over the last year or two but I
certainly know that much of the FAQ content precedes your
stewardship. 

My real point here is not to quibble about the intricacies and 
subtleties of copyright law as applied to Usenet but to point
out that there was a time where no one would have dreamt that
there would be a need to copyright a newsgroup FAQ.

This certainly should not be construed as a 'slam' against you
personally. I've enjoyed the many contributions you've made
over the last several years to the Apple II community. This
"copyright of newsgroup FAQs" issue just rubs me the wrong way
in general (There are numerous other FAQs which fall into the
same category -- copyrighted). FYI, I don't hold the same
opinions when it comes to more 'specialty' FAQs -- just the
Usenet newsgroup FAQs.

I guess I'm just an old-timer who appreciates how things used
to be.

Paul.

pschultz@med.wayne.edu
Paul Schultz