Copyright & License Questions

[Lawrence E. Rosen]

> > And suppose you later retract your abandonment?  What's to 
> prevent that?
> 
> 
> What's to prevent my "retracting" any abandonment of any sort?
> If I put my chair on the street with a signed notice saying "I, the
> owner of this chair, abandon all rights to it" (neglecting for the
> moment the question of littering laws), do you suggest that someone
> couldn't rely on that notice and take the chair away?  And if 
> I tried to
> replevy the chair, don't you think I would be laughed out of court?

Perhaps.  But as a potential user of that chair (read "potential user of
that software"), are you willing to risk that the judge will laugh?  I'm
really not actually concerned with potential users as much as I am
concerned with those who will create and distribute derivative works of
that software.  I'd probably advise any client to steer away from
incorporating software he found littered on the streets.  My suggestion
is, use software that comes with a reasonable license.

/Larry Rosen