free sco unix

[Chuck Swiger]

On Jun 17, 2011, at 9:28 AM, Chad Perrin wrote:
>> Where i live no need to register, you get copyright if the stuff
>> fulfills certain criteria, originality is one.
> 
> Registration aids enforcement.  Of course, there's always the "poor man's
> copyright registration" approach, where the moment you have something you
> would like to protect by copyright, you can seal it up in an envelope and
> mail it to yourself.  Keep it sealed.  If you ever need proof of
> copyright, including date of copyright, you can then take the sealed
> envelope with you to court to show the postmark date, unseal the
> envelope, and show the full text of the document inside.

Sigh.  If you'd ever actually filed a copyright registration or transfer form, you would discover that one needs to get them notarized.  (Documenting that a certain document was available and signed at a specific date is what a notary public is for.)

There is no case law in the US to support this "poor man's copyright."

  http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#what

[ ... ]
>> Only the monetary. The creator can sell the right to make copys of the
>> work but the creator still retains the copyright.
> 
> That depends on jurisdiction.  In the US, you can negate copyright
> entirely by assigning something you have created to the public domain.

You assert this claim as well, but it's not at all clear whether anything but works created by government employees can be placed in the public domain.

  http://www.publicdomainsherpa.com/no-rights-reserved.html

"There is no specific provision in the copyright law for disclaiming rights in copyrighted works, and of course, no obligation to do so.  However, the Copyright Office will record a statement of your intention to relinquish rights in our official records because the document pertains to a copyright within the meaning of the statute.  A statement of abandonment should identify the works involved by title and/or registration number.  The office does not provide forms for this purpose.

The legal effect of recording a statement of abandonment is not clear.  Moreover, its acceptance for recordation in this office should not be construed as approval of the legal sufficiency of its content or its effect on the status or ownership of any copyright."

Let me repeat: unless you are a lawyer, you are not qualified to provide legal advice.

Regards,
-- 
-Chuck