copyrightable API???

Rod Dixon, J.D., LL.M. rod at cyberspaces.org
Sat Apr 21 12:58:29 UTC 2001


A number of things could be said about the "license" in your sig file. The first thing that stands out (aside from the copyright claim...does my message create a derivative work?) is that your license fails to give adequate notice of its terms. A hyperlink is insufficient for e-mail. ;-)

Rod 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mirabilos [mailto:eccesys at topmail.de]
> Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2001 8:01 AM
> To: license-discuss at opensource.org
> Subject: Re: copyrightable API???
> 
> 
> If I have followed the discussion correctly, no one wants to
> copyright his API, but he wants to prevent some people
> from claiming some incompatible software compliant.
> Example:
> 
> What YOU think of, and IMO is not asked, is:
> 
> - M$ publishes (not) WIN32 API
> - Wine (under different name) seeks compliance
> is ok
> 
> What I think is meant:
> 
> - I write an API, and someone using it has to include "myapi.h"
> - someone extends myapi.lib to yourapi.lib, which still is
>    compatible with the original API and thus may be used with
>    including either one of "myapi.h" and "yourapi.h"
> - BUT if someone doesn't keep the interface compliant, he
>    shouldn't claim it is, because e.g. if I replaced old Trumpet
>    Winsock.DLL with a different one, programmes linked to it
>    weren't functional any longer, so I wanted to prohibite it.
> 
> Ok, that's just my 0.02 EUR ;-)
> 
> 
> (PS: Now that's my .sig - I'd like to discuss the license in it, too)
> 
> -mirabilos
> -- 
> )))                  LICENSE FOR ABOVE MESSAGE BODY:              (((
> YOU _MUST NOT_ READ  ABOVE MESSAGE BODY  IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE
> TERMS.  BY READING ABOVE MESSAGE BODY  YOU _AUTOMATICALLY_ _DO AGREE_
> TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS:
> This mail/work is protected  by copyright law.  It _MUST NOT_ be used
> otherwise than specified by the terms and conditions at:
>       http://members.tripod.de/mirabilos/license.mip
> The mail is, if not _explicitly_ specified differently, ONLY licensed
> by these terms. THIS _CANNOT_ BE OVERRIDDEN BY ANY "TERMS OF SERVICE"
> OF ANY S.PROVIDER THE MAIL GOES THROUGH, EVEN _NOT_ IF I SIGNED THEM!
> -- 
> (Sorry for the bandwidth, but some ToS force me to.)
> EA F0 FF 00 F0 #$@%CARRIER LOST
> 
> 




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