C++Talk.NET C++ language newsgroups   Archives   FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in  How to copyright source?          C++Talk.NET Forum Index -> C++ language (comp.lang.c++) View previous topic :: View next topic   Author Message Alan Johnson Guest Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 9:21 am    Post subject: Re: How to copyright source? Jacob wrote: Quote: I am writing commersial code for clients. It sometime seems like common practice to add a copyright header to each source file (.cpp and .h). The header might look something like this: /* * Copyright (C) 2005, SomeCompany */ Possibly followed by a lot of blah-blah. My questions are these: [snip a lot of copyright questions] Thanks! http://www.templetons.com/brad/copyright.html I'll leave it to you to judge the quality of the information, but for what my opinion is worth, it seems good to me. The interesting bit is the last paragraph. -Alan Back to top Jacob Guest Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 9:46 am    Post subject: How to copyright source? I am writing commersial code for clients. It sometime seems like common practice to add a copyright header to each source file (.cpp and .h). The header might look something like this: /* * Copyright (C) 2005, SomeCompany */ Possibly followed by a lot of blah-blah. My questions are these: o Is developers (and others) free to steal a piece of code if this heading is not there? o What significance has the year in the example above? Am I free to steal this piece of code in 2006 unless the year is then updated? o What significance has the blah-blah that often follows the copyright statement. Is the "(C)" not strong enough, but requires qualifications? o What significance has the company name in the example above? If the company is acquired (as is often the case with development companies) should every header be updated in order for them to be valid? o What significance has a "file" in this context? Being just bits and bytes on a storage medium, am I free to steal the part of a storage (i.e. file) which does _not_ contain the copyright statement? o What about the directory structure? It is information as well, but typically not copyrighted. Am I free to steal its structure? o What do you do, and why? (I just have the fealing that this practice is followed beacause "everybody else" does it and it feels safe that way, but without an explicit stated rationale). In my current project we don't yet follow this copyright-header practice, but I will suggest we do in case there are good reasons for doing so. In that case, is there a copyright template I can copy (!) from somewhere? Thanks! Back to top P.J. Plauger Guest Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:39 pm    Post subject: Re: How to copyright source? "Jacob" <jacob (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote Quote: I am writing commersial code for clients. In which case, you'd better make sure you have a clear understanding as to who owns the code. If you're doing this on a work-for-hire basis, they do. If you have no explicit agreement, you do. But you'll save a lot of grief if you clarify such matters up front. Quote: It sometime seems like common practice to add a copyright header to each source file (.cpp and .h). The header might look something like this: /* * Copyright (C) 2005, SomeCompany */ Possibly followed by a lot of blah-blah. My questions are these: First, chase the link offered by Alan Johnson in a separate post. Looks like a good one to me. Quote: o Is developers (and others) free to steal a piece of code if this heading is not there? "Free to steal" is an oxyomron. You may be free to use code or you might steal it, but you can't do both at once. Such phraseology is bound to get you in trouble, sooner or later, with others who might feel they have a stake in code you write. But to answer your question (already answered in the link above), every expression is born with a copyright. You add the notice out of "due diligence." If you have to enforce your copyright, it helps that you put others on notice that you own the work. Quote: o What significance has the year in the example above? Am I free to steal this piece of code in 2006 unless the year is then updated? Copyrights have a finite lifetime. This is the year the clock starts ticking. Quote: o What significance has the blah-blah that often follows the copyright statement. Is the "(C)" not strong enough, but requires qualifications? The qualifications more often grant limited usage. They can't impose more than the copyright law. Quote: o What significance has the company name in the example above? If the company is acquired (as is often the case with development companies) should every header be updated in order for them to be valid? If you put a company name on the copyright, then that's who owns the copyright. It is an asset that goes with the company. No need to update all the headers if the path of ownership over time is clear. Quote: o What significance has a "file" in this context? Being just bits and bytes on a storage medium, am I free to steal the part of a storage (i.e. file) which does _not_ contain the copyright statement? o What about the directory structure? It is information as well, but typically not copyrighted. Am I free to steal its structure? The basic principle is that you copyright a unique expression. If there's something unique in any accompanying structure, you'd better assume it's covered too. Quote: o What do you do, and why? (I just have the fealing that this practice is followed beacause "everybody else" does it and it feels safe that way, but without an explicit stated rationale). I've done it ever since I went into the commercial software business in 1978. I've done it on the advice of counsel, which does change in small ways over time, but is pretty consistent in the area of copyright notices. And those copyright notices have paid off, in one out-of-court settlement and one knock-down, drag-out trial in federal court. Quote: In my current project we don't yet follow this copyright-header practice, but I will suggest we do in case there are good reasons for doing so. In that case, is there a copyright template I can copy (!) from somewhere? You need: -- the word "copyright" -- the copyright symbol, though people seem to think (c) is an acceptable alternative these days -- the year(s) when the material was created, which evidently can be a hyphenated range these days -- the name of the copyright owner If you also add "all rights reserved", you're putting people on notice that they'd better contact you before doing anything that might require permission. Finally, if you think there's a real risk of infringement, and serious losses possible if that happens, then by all means register the copyright, the sooner the better. Otherwise, don't bother. P.J. Plauger Dinkumware, Ltd. http://www.dinkumware.com Back to top Joe Seigh Guest Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:54 pm    Post subject: Re: How to copyright source? P.J. Plauger wrote: Quote: "Jacob" <jacob (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote in message news:PfOdnS-Jg9SRonbfRVnzvA (AT) telenor (DOT) com... I am writing commersial code for clients. In which case, you'd better make sure you have a clear understanding as to who owns the code. If you're doing this on a work-for-hire basis, they do. If you have no explicit agreement, you do. But you'll save a lot of grief if you clarify such matters up front. It sometime seems like common practice to add a copyright header to each source file (.cpp and .h). The header might look something like this: /* * Copyright (C) 2005, SomeCompany */ You need: -- the word "copyright" -- the copyright symbol, though people seem to think (c) is an acceptable alternative these days -- the year(s) when the material was created, which evidently can be a hyphenated range these days -- the name of the copyright owner Authoritative answer is here http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-definitions.html#notice You may have to consult with a IP lawyer as to whether (C) means anything. International copyright notices seem to require the copyright symbol and the word copyright or copr. have no meaning. A bit of a problem for ascii files. -- Joe Seigh When you get lemons, you make lemonade. When you get hardware, you make software. Back to top Julián Albo Guest Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 2:06 pm    Post subject: Re: How to copyright source? Joe Seigh wrote: Quote: You may have to consult with a IP lawyer as to whether (C) means anything. International copyright notices seem to require the copyright symbol and the word copyright or copr. have no meaning. A bit of a problem for ascii files. Surely some lawyer may arguee about that. But even if you include the c in a circle instead of the (c), the same lawyer will find some other minutiae to arguee about. -- Salu2 Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         C++Talk.NET Forum Index -> C++ language (comp.lang.c++) All times are GMT Page 1 of 1   Jump to: Select a forum C/C++----------------C LanguageC Language (Moderated)C++ Language (Moderated)C++ language (comp.lang.c++)C++ language, library and standards Non-English C/C++ Newsgroups----------------C++ (German)C++ (French)  You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2006 phpBB Group SEO toolkit © 2004-2006 webmedic.