Re: announcing the availability of 4.3BSD Usenix manuals

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3 total messages Started by Barry Shein Fri, 03 Oct 1986 00:05

#495

Author: Barry Shein
Date: Fri, 03 Oct 1986 00:05

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Hmm, maybe some light is coming through...

So, basically my source license (or, as I suspect, binary license
tho I'm not sure) says I can make copies for myself and some other
folks (like staff) covered under the license agreement.

Usenix is not authorized to do this. All they are doing is acting in
the same manner as my copy center might, they are relying entirely on
*my* license to legitimize their copying of the materials.

Unfortunately, that almost makes sense (as much as the laws of man
ever make sense...)

Oh well, it does seem like someone ought to -ask- AT&T if they would
allow a release (and/or UCB, probably "and".) Was this done? At least
to the point that anyone with a Binary license could purchase them,
if not just anyone.

I still find the current situation silly (essentially, Joe Shmoe can
not legally buy a 4.x manual), but it's not the only thing...

	-Barry Shein, Boston University

Re: announcing the availability of 4.3BSD Usenix manuals

#501

Author: Thomas Ferrin%CGL
Date: Fri, 03 Oct 1986 16:33

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4.3BSD manuals are considered both copyrighted and licensed
material and pursant to the AT&T and UCB license agreements can
only be reproduced by holders of both an AT&T 32/V or System III
or System V license or sublicense AND a University of California
4.3BSD license.  When institutional or supporting members of
Usenix order manuals they sign a form declaring that they do
indeed hold the necessary licenses and that they appoint Usenix
Association to act as their agent in reproducing manuals for
them.  You must be a institutional or supporting member of
Usenix because Usenix Association must verify that you do indeed
have the license(s) you say you do and "license verification" is
one of the benefits of being an institutional or supporting
member.

The above details were worked out with the AT&T and University
of California lawyers before Usenix started reproducing 4.2BSD
manuals.  At that time AT&T insisted that documentation for UNIX
32/V and its derivatives was covered by the 32/V license
agreement; hence the requirement for the apparently over-elaborate
procedure described above.  The fact that Harvard or UC Berkeley
is purportedly selling 4.2BSD manuals to anyone who walks into
their bookstores is their business.

It can be argued that "times have changed", since System V
documentation is no longer tied to a AT&T System V license or
sublicense, and that Usenix Association should again explore the
legal issuses with both AT&T and UCB regarding restriction of
circulation for 4.3BSD manuals.  While this option is being
considered and the potential legal issuses worked out, however,
the current 4.3BSD manual distribution arrangements must remain
in effect.

Re: announcing the availability of 4.3BSD Usenix manuals

#503

Author: Steve Dyer
Date: Sat, 04 Oct 1986 23:35

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I don't think anyone was expecting that an electronic outcry would by itself
change the USENIX Association's 4.3BSD manual distribution policy.  On the
other hand, when one can freely purchase 4.X BSD manuals, presumably illegally,
in college bookstores and the similar V7 and System V documents in mass-market
outlets, it's definitely worth asking what purpose is being served by the
current policy.

Maybe there can be a report on the negotiations with AT&T and Berkeley in an
upcoming ;login: issue?
-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@harvard.HARVARD.EDU
{linus,wanginst,bbnccv,harvard,ima,ihnp4}!spdcc!dyer

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