From:	Erik Max Francis <max AT alcyone DOT com>
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: rand() or random()
Date:	Wed, 12 Nov 1997 09:19:55 -0800
Organization:	Alcyone Systems
Lines:	32
Message-ID:	<3469E53B.5D0D6E5D@alcyone.com>
References:	<Pine DOT SUN DOT 3 DOT 91 DOT 971112140658 DOT 20379H-100000 AT is>
NNTP-Posting-Host:	newton.alcyone.com
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To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway:	from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp

Eli Zaretskii wrote:

> `random' wasn't written for DJGPP project.  It was taken from the BSD
> Unix library which is in public domain (and therefore free), but is
> copyrighted by the Regents of the University of California.

    /dev/eli:3: parse error before `copyrighted'

A work cannot be both public domain and copyrighted; these two terms are
mutually exclusive.  Copyrighted means somewhere, someone retains some
rights to it.  Public domain means the copyright owner _explicitly_
waives all rights to the work.

Free software (such as the BSD Unix software in question or software
under GPL) is still copyrighted, and is not public domain.

> Somebody
> with a good understanding in the legal aspects should look at the
> copyright and tell whether the function's name can be changed.  DJ
> should
> be one person who should answer that.

I could take a look myself, though I am not a lawyer, but I don't have
the BSD Unix copyright in front of my face at the moment.

-- 
         Erik Max Francis, &tSftDotIotE / mailto:max AT alcyone DOT com
                       Alcyone Systems / http://www.alcyone.com/max/
  San Jose, California, United States / icbm://+37.20.07/-121.53.38
                                     \
   "Since when can wounded eyes see / If we weren't who we were"
                                   / Joi

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