Mail Archives: djgpp/1996/06/17/18:18:42
Date: | Mon, 17 Jun 1996 18:09:53 -0400
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From: | dj (DJ Delorie)
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Message-Id: | <199606172209.SAA02624@delorie.com>
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To: | ILGES AT cc DOT uab DOT es
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CC: | djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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In-reply-to: | <01I60MPT9TO2000U7B@cc.uab.es> (ILGES@cc.uab.es)
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Subject: | Re: legal question
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I'm not a lawyer, but here is a simple explaination.
> "(c) -> copyright" (for example "(c) Microsoft corporation"),
This is used to protect an intellectual work, like a book or a
program. A work can be copyrighted merely by marking it so.
You should use a complete phrase, like this:
Copyright (C) 1996 by DJ Delorie
The (C) means nothing legally; only the word "Copyright" or the
c-in-a-circle symbol count. Note that this only stops others from
benefiting from your work without permission. Unless you also
register your copyright with the government, you can't sue for
damages.
> "TM -> Trade mark" (for example "Windows TM"),
Used to indicate that a particular name (usually a product name) is
yours and shouldn't be used for something else. For example, "DJGPP"
may be trademarked to keep others from naming their software that.
> "(R) -> Registered" (for example "Microsoft (R)" or "MS-DOS (R)"),
If you register your trademark with the government, you then have a
registered trademark.
I'm not sure, but I think a (TM) only ensures uniqueness within a
field (like computers) but (R) ensures uniqueness across fields as
well.
Patents are granted to inventors of devices, to prevent others from
creating equivalent devices without permission.
A license is granted by the owner of a copyright, trademark, or
patent; to allow others to use it as well.
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