🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1991Mar20.022754.28217@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> gsh7w@astsun9.astro.Virginia.EDU (Greg Hennessy) writes:
> While I forget the exact terminology, and am not a lawyer, you are
> allowed to make copies necessary for running the program and
> reasonable backups. These all come under the "fair use" exemptions of
> copyrighten code.

Actually, I believe (don't take my word on this, I haven't looked it up
recently) the special regulations for software are independent of fair
use. In any case, yes, you may copy the program from the disk you bought
into the computer, and you may compile it if it is source code, and you
may make backup copies, unless of course you signed an agreement saying
otherwise. You may transfer your legally obtained software to someone
else (along with all your backup copies), despite what Press et al. say.

Fair use lets you use the code in any way that's, um, fair. The courts
decide what's fair within the regulations and guidelines established by
the Copyright Office. In practice, what they care about is money. If you
don't make a significant amount of money with your copying or take money
away from the authors, you're on pretty solid ground.

---Dan