Re: Society's access to source code (was Re: KDE v. Gnome)

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Article #1482

#1482

From: Bill Unruh
Date: Sun, 04 Oct 1998 00:00

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In <CGv2JQAhR7F2EwZs@dlsl.demon.co.uk> Jason Clifford <jason@dlsl.demon.co.uk> writes:

>I am not claiming that availability of source could not be useful - I am
>stating that it is not necessary.

Necessary to what? I started this chain y arguing that society should,
as a part of its bargain with software producers, insist on the
publication of source code as a condition of granting copyright
protection to that source code. The advantage to society would be large
(which you seemed to dispute, but now apparently agree with). Copyrights
are not natural rights, but are man made manufactured rights backed by
the power of the state. As such they should be designed to reflect a
balance between the encouragement of individuals to create the good by
granting them a monopoly over the distribution of their good (something
which in itself is a decided detriment to society) with compensating
advantages to the society.

In all other realms in which copyright is applied, the copyrighted item
is free and open for inspection by anyone else. It is not a secret.
software companies triy to use both copyright and trade secret for the
self same item-- hiding the source and trying to forbid reverse
engineering, while still claiming copyright protection.

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<qj78u6.mf.ln@wog.interlog.com> <p5sohihlrc.fsf@baynetworks.com>  <Pine.SOL.3.91.980923105630.13773B-100000@howard>  <slrn70ic1k.97.homer_j_simpson@donut.dhis.org> <6uc2pk$jh1$5@blue.hex.net>  <873e9hret2.fsf@ivm.de> <6ufkfu$o96$1@taliesin.netcom.net.uk>  <87sohgzh44.fsf@ivm.de> <FWc39EA3TLD2Ewp3@dlsl.demon.co.uk>  <6uipd0$oj8$1@winter.news.erols.com> <87zpbmkhdn.fsf@ivm.de>  <kbCveHAOyWD2EwdN@dlsl.demon.co.uk>  <Pine.SOL.3.91.980927140803.10597B-100000@howard>  <m3af3knl8m.fsf@c26469-a.clnvl1.ct.home.com> <6up86o$t23$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>  <9nQpxDAYqKE2EwlY@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <6v0oet$avl$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>  <OHkl5KAObKF2EwIy@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <yq3ogrvc6kb.fsf_-_@nasrullah.tchden.org>  <x7Yq2RA8iWF2Ewt$@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <F0ArHE.1M9@a2e.de> <CGv2JQAhR7F2EwZs@dlsl.demon.co.uk>

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From: unruh@physics.ubc.ca (Bill Unruh)
Subject: Re: Society's access to source code (was Re: KDE v. Gnome)
Date: 1998/10/04
Message-ID: <6v8oge$ej0$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>
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References: <qj78u6.mf.ln@wog.interlog.com> <p5sohihlrc.fsf@baynetworks.com>  <Pine.SOL.3.91.980923105630.13773B-100000@howard>  <slrn70ic1k.97.homer_j_simpson@donut.dhis.org> <6uc2pk$jh1$5@blue.hex.net>  <873e9hret2.fsf@ivm.de> <6ufkfu$o96$1@taliesin.netcom.net.uk>  <87sohgzh44.fsf@ivm.de> <FWc39EA3TLD2Ewp3@dlsl.demon.co.uk>  <6uipd0$oj8$1@winter.news.erols.com> <87zpbmkhdn.fsf@ivm.de>  <kbCveHAOyWD2EwdN@dlsl.demon.co.uk>  <Pine.SOL.3.91.980927140803.10597B-100000@howard>  <m3af3knl8m.fsf@c26469-a.clnvl1.ct.home.com> <6up86o$t23$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>  <9nQpxDAYqKE2EwlY@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <6v0oet$avl$1@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>  <OHkl5KAObKF2EwIy@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <yq3ogrvc6kb.fsf_-_@nasrullah.tchden.org>  <x7Yq2RA8iWF2Ewt$@dlsl.demon.co.uk> <F0ArHE.1M9@a2e.de> <CGv2JQAhR7F2EwZs@dlsl.demon.co.uk>
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