> Oooooh I read the conversation between GCG and Fred Plewniak...
I didn't (off sick, news only lasts about 2 days here now :(( but I'll imagine
what it said :))
> What use is a GCG manual without GCG? I mean, I would have
> thought that putting the manual up on the Web was just a bit
> of free publicity...
Putting up someone elses documentation for general use without any controls on
access, when the license you have signed says you may not do this, is not "free
publicity" it is an infringement (IMHO). If GCG want the free publicity, then
its their option to run a WWW site and put up the information.
> I think it somewhat short-sighted for GCG to get protective about
> its copyright:
Cough... this starts to sound like the Free Software Foundation arguement all
over again. Oh well, haven't been here for a while I guess... Bottom line? They
write it, they own the copyright, if they don't enforce it, what does the next
stage become? GCG source code on the net being OK?... because you need a
compiler to make it usable...! Be serious! These guys are a company, not a
charity!
On the other hand, when you write it you can set your own conditions do
distribution, access, commercial use etc. You (Ewan specially here) have to
remember you are in the amazingly fortunate position of not even having to
negotiate distribution rights with a funding agency right now!
> You could distribute it on the "anyone can copy
> it but noone can change it without permission" copyright.
If you own it/write it of course you can do what you like, but if you buy it
from a company, you do what the contract says you agreed to do, and in this
case GCG are very explicit about what is OK and what is not. (I would suggest
at this point its required reading for all system managers running GCG,
especially those who took over their site from someone else !)
> ewan
>>birney at molbiol.ox.ac.uk
Sorry if I sound like I'm going on about the legal arguement again, but I guess
I feel pretty strongly about it....
regards, jasper
D Jasper G Rees MA DPhil The Bionic Paradox:
Wellcome Senior Research Fellow "For every positive reference to the
The Sir William Dunn School of Pathology Human Genome Mapping Project there is
Oxford University an equal and opposite reference to
South Parks Road Arnold Schwarzengger"
Oxford, OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1865 275567
FAX: +44 1865 275501 Email: Jasper.Rees at Pathology.Oxford.Ac.UK
