From: Mike Godwin <mnemonic@eff.org>
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 94 09:36:05 PST
To: arthurc@crl.com (Arthur Chandler)
Subject: Re: Who Owns the Words?
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.87.9403100926.A10898-0100000@crl.crl.com>
Message-ID: <199403101735.MAA29147@eff.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


 
Arthur writes:

>    A dilemma: if you are writing a paper, and you want to quote someone's
> posted (say, to cypherpunks) remarks, what are the obligations?
>    1) None: by posting, people make their words public domain.
>    2) No legal obligations, but it would be polite to ask permission.
>    3) Whatever is posted is de facto copyright, and the person whose
> words you took could sue you for breach of copyright.

(3) is closest to the truth. You can still quote someone within Fair Use
guidelines, however.

>    Now let's shift to a MOO or IRC:
>    You keep a log of a conversation.  Would the same rules/customs apply
> if you wanted to include that log in a paper? 

Yes. 

>    Does it matter if the conversation was held in a private room or in a
> public place on the MOO?

No.

>    Does it matter whether the paper is written to fulfill a class
> assignment or is intended for publication in a for-profit magazine?

Yes. The former poses no copyright problems.


--Mike