Fix this: The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

[Erik Trulsson]

On Sun, May 27, 2007 at 02:38:33AM -0700, Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> > [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Garrett Cooper
> > Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 8:04 PM
> > To: Kyrre Nygård
> > Cc: bugs at freebsd.org; questions at freebsd.org
> > Subject: Re: Fix this: The Regents of the University of California. All
> > rights reserved.
> >
> >
> > Kyrre Nygård wrote:
> > > Hello!
> > >
> > > Is it possible to change:
> > >
> > > Copyright (c) 1992-2007 The FreeBSD Project.
> > > Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
> > >         The Regents of the University of California. All rights
> > reserved.
> > >
> > > Over to:
> > >
> > > Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
> > >         The Regents of the University of California.
> > >         All rights reserved.
> > >
> > > If so, how is it done?
> > >
> > > To have `All rights reserved.' apply to both copyright
> > statements, it is necessary to break it down to the next line. It
> > would also look a whole lot neater, as the last number of `1994'
> > now aligns with the last letter of `reserved' using a monospaced
> > font, which ends up looking kind of weird. Trust me on this one.
> > >
> > > Thank you,
> > > Kyrre Nygård + mir-visuals.com + snoarc.no
> >
> > Now why would you want to do that? That's cutting FreeBSD totally out of
> > the picture, which isn't correct since they're the copyright owners of
> > the FreeBSD project from 1992 to today.
> >
> 
> Re-read what he said, Garrett:
> 
> "To have `All rights reserved.' apply to BOTH copyright
> statements, it is necessary to break it down to the next line.
> 
> Cutting FreeBSD out would leave ONE, not multiple, copyright lines.
> "BOTH" would not apply.  He intended the first copyright line to
> remain, he just didn't print it.
> 
> He is actually right, and it should be filed as a PR.  Gramatically,
> right now the all rights reserved line does not apply to the
> first copyright line.
> 
> Of course, to be really nitpicky, the (c) should be removed, because
> WTPO has already come out and stated that (c) isn't a valid copyright
> indicator, you must completely enclose the c in a circle.


As I understand it the phrase 'All rights reserved' was required by older
copyright rules but is obsolete these days.
I.e. changing the wording so that 'All rights reserved' applies to both
copyright statements is pointless since it does not have any legal
significance any more.




-- 
<Insert your favourite quote here.>
Erik Trulsson
ertr1013 at student.uu.se