From:	"Damian Yerrick" <Damian DOT E DOT Yerrick AT rose-hulman DOT edu>
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: GNU, Copyrights and related stuff
Date:	Thu, 12 Aug 1999 23:42:38 -0500
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Prashant TR <prashant_tr AT yahoo DOT com> wrote in message
news:19990811073153 DOT 12519 DOT rocketmail AT web1006 DOT mail DOT yahoo DOT com...
>
> I've written a few software, some of which I would like to distribute
> under the GNU GPL; the others would be freeware, but without sources.
> The issues that I have are:
>
> 1> Is it necessary that I get a legal copyright in my name before I
> distribute the software under the GPL ?
> 2> What are the procedures I should follow to get a copyright for the
> other sources ?

Unofficial Copyright FAQ by Damian Yerrick

I'm not a lawyer, so don't take my word for it (lawyers, this is _not_ to be
considered legal advice), but this is how I _think_ it works in the United
States as of August 12, 1999:

To get a copyright, simply create an original, copyrightable work. Under
current U.S. law, your work is protected until 70 years after you die (if
it's freelance) or 95 years after your company publishes it (if it's a work
for hire). It's best to include a notice in your program's splash screen;
use the notice at the bottom of this post. If your font does not include c
in a circle, use Copr. not (c).

To improve your chances of winning a lawsuit, register your copyright with
the Library of Congress within 3 months after you publish. Simply send the
first 25 pages of source code, the last 25 pages of source code, a completed
form TX, and thirty U.S. dollars ($30) to the Copyright Office; they'll send
you a certificate of registration you can flaunt in court. To protect your
graphics and sounds, copyright your product as an audiovisual work. Go to
http://lcweb.loc.gov for more information.

Copyright does not protect the style of play of a game, only the program and
audiovisual material. That's why so many clones of Tetris exist.

I hope this helps.

Copr. 1999 Damian Yerrick; all rights reserved. This document comes with NO
WARRANTY, but you are free to distribute it under the GNU General Public
License.

Visit my home page: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~yerricde

Tetris is a registered trademark of The Tetris Company LLC.
http://www.tetris.com

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