🚀 go-pugleaf

Does Niles (or any other software distributer) have a policy on the use of
their product for producing material that will be sold separately by
another commercial organisation?  I don't want to knock down this proposal,
but it seems on first light to be legally dubious.  Many other users post
bibliographic styles and even data bases that are available free by
anonymous FTP, but this proposal states that the database will be sold. In
addition it was my impression that Netiquette precludes advertising  in
this form.  Niles please advise!

Jim Cummins

I do not think there is a copyright problem. Creating a database for use
with Endnote does not violate a copyright in the Endnote software. Whether
or not the data base itself is subject to copyright is a moot point, but
not in issue here. Similarly, distributing templates for a spreadsheet or
wordprocessing files does not violate the copyright in the spreadsheet or
the wordprocessing software. Indeed, it may encourage sales of that
software.

Whether it is appropriate to distribute products commercially where others
circulate similar products as shareware is not a matter of law. Some may
refuse to buy it on the grounds that it violates the shareware spirit. In
the software market the commercial and shareware distribution co-exist.

EJAN MACKAAY
<mackaay@droit.umontreal.ca>