----- "P Kishor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 1:52 PM, Bart van den Eijnden (OSGIS) > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > So if the project had been formed, but does not contain any source > code as > > yet it's possible? Or am I misinterpreting your words? > > Well, it is entirely possible that I am misinterpreting your words. I > am not sure what is a "project" as different from the code? How can > there be a project if there is no code? Besides, a project is not > copyrighted... it is the code that is copyrighted, and that is done > by > considering software source code as a literary work actually. > > If "projects" without code could be copyrighted then every joe the > plumber would dream up of all kinds of fanciful projects that only > exist in ones mind, and copyright them. Then everyone else would be > shut out. > > A clever lawyer could also argue that the "project" is an idea, while > the code is the expression of that idea. Since ideas can't be > copyrighted, there you go. Consider this example -- I have this > wonderful idea that given an address, the computer should be able to > figure out the lat/lon. I call this "project" by the name "geocoding" > and copyright it even though I haven't written a lick of code. Now > everyone else is shut out from writing computer programs to do > geocoding. That wouldn't be nice, would it? > I believe in the US that is known as a "patent" ;)
Chris ------ Files attached to this email may be in ISO 26300 format (OASIS Open Document Format). If you have difficulty opening them, please visit http://iso26300.info for more information. _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss