Johnson Reavek wrote: > Actually, if you offered your music for free to begin > with, you have ipso facto released it to public > domain, which, like the updates, makes it quite legal > to distribute.
Not in the slightest! There is a HUGE difference between offering something for free and placing it in the public domain. Offering something on your web site for free does NOT make it legal to redistribute. > Copyright law is quite clear on this. You are correct. Reread the law, sir. > The updates were free. Always. That makes them legal > to distribute. 'Public Domain' is a very specific legal term. Things that are in the Public domain are free as in speech, and can be redistributed at will. Things offered for free, as in beer, but not placed in the public domain are not. If Beverly offers her music for free, I can download it, I can even tell all my friends about it. Unless she's explicitly released it to the Public Domain, I cannot put it on a CD and sell it, or put it opn a CD and give it away. Comanies *usually* offer upgrades for free and simultaneously restrict redistribution of those upgrades. Apple is one. They have to; they wish to maintain control over the distribution of their products. What if, for example (as has happened in the past) upgrades are offered to the public that are hacked, viruses, trojans, broken or otherwise altered. Who is liable? If a company placed their upgrades in the public domain they could well be found liable, paradoxically. Restricting redistribution insulates them from such liability. If you offer Apple software upgrades (which are freely available from Apple's web or ftp site) on your site or your magazine CD you *will* get a letter from one of Apple's legal team telling you to C&D when they find you out. If you wish to distribute the Quicktime installer, for exaple, with your product, you must enter into a contract with Appple to do so, even though they don't charge for Quicktime. -- Bruce Johnson University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Information Technology Group Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs -- PowerBooks is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PowerBooks list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
