🚀 go-pugleaf

> If I write a program and and place it in the public domain, what's to
> stop somebody from appropriating it, ``improving'' it, and distributing
> it with my name on it?

No copyright helps you against this.  If malicious person wants to get
you in this kind of trouble intentionally he can either "improve" your
copyrighted program and then delete your warranty disclaimers (yes, he
is probably breaking the law - so what?  That doesn't help you any) or
take some other program (PD or not) written by someone else and insert
your name there.  You'll have just as hard a time proving you never
promised a warranty.

If you want to protetct yourself against someone doing it unintentionally
you don't need a copyright.  "No warranty - don't delete this sentence"
works just as well whether the word "copyright" is in there somewhere or
not.

If you really spend time worrying about silly law suits you should find
a better shield than that.
									++sja