Re: [LUG] GLUG - free and non-free

[Grant Sewell <dclug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 15:07:13 +0100
"Bailey Mark" <mark.bailey@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Neil Williams wrote:
> > Nobody owns software, least of all the author.
>
> Do you mean the actual lines of source code, or the IP?

I could be wrong on this, but isn't the idea more along these lines:

Code, like speech and music, is an expression of an idea.

Who owns expressions?  If I "own" a piece of music (in that it is my intellectual 
property) does that mean that I own *all* of it?  How would I go about demonstrating 
my ownership?  Can I sue people for using the same arrangement of chords that I 
have?  Surely if I "own" the music, then such a finding would amount to the other 
party having "stolen" my expressions?  But could they not argue that they too "own" 
their music, and therefore the very same arrangement of chords.

If I make a blindingly good speech, do I "own" the words or the arrangement of those 
words?  Can I prevent people from quoting me because I haven't given them permission 
to use my expression?

If I write code, do I "own" the arrangement of commands and parameters or even the 
syntax of my commands?  If someone else uses the same routines as me, perhaps even 
(God forbid) use the same variable names, does that mean that they have "stolen" it 
from me?

What _is_ "Intellectual Property"?  The ownership of intelligence?  I would hope we 
can all aspire to own our own intelligence - without it surely we would be just 
drones?

-- 
Artificial intelligence is no match for nuratal stidutipy.

--
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the
message body to unsubscribe.