#CompuS Copyright
06-Oct-86 22:04:25
Sb: #35485-#CompuS Copyright
Fm: Steve Ahlstrom 76703,2006
To: Jan Harrington 72277,3417
This message turned up in search, but its forum couldn’t be identified from the original transcript, so it may not be linked into its thread.
1) CompuServe received a complaint from the author of a copyrighted program
that his program was being published by Sande's Mousetrap BBS without the
author's permission. The author also indicated that Sande had many other
non-Public Domain programs on his BBS. Note: Copyrighted program, not a
public-domain program.
2) CIS asked me to call the BBS and verify the author's complaint. Sande's
short bulletin (signed with his nom de plume of "Captain Mac") specifically
stated that Sande was going onto GEnie, CompuServe and Delphi every week to
download all of their files and that if you sent him $25 to join his
service there was no longer any need to join any of the networks. His
short bulletin did not state he was downloading public-domain files but
said all files and specifically stated commercial redistribution.
3) At the same point in time Sande left a message on MAUG(tm) also stating
that all files (not just public-domain) were being offered on his BBS. I
deleted that message and sent him an EMAIL reply explaining that many of
our files were copyrighted by authors and that it was unethical to take
such files without the authors' permission.
4) CIS' lawyers sent Sande a note which did NOT ask him to close his BBS
but simply asked that he cease the illegal acts above.
5) Sande left many messages on such networks as FidoNET claiming that CIS
had told him to close his BBS and that it was public-domain files that were
at issue. This is simply a misleading statement. CIS did not ask him to
close his board. The files at issue were copyrighted files which CIS had
received author complaints over.
6) It is important to keep in mind that Sande's BBS was a commercial
venture. It is also important to keep in mind that Sande specifically
stated in his short bulletin that he was making network compilations of
data available commercially.
7) CompuServe and MAUG are not attempting to "threaten" any BBS system.
BBS systems are the heart and soul of telecommunications. But the sysop of
a BBS must operate within certain ethical and legal guidelines. One of
these, as should be obvious, is that you do not use a copyrighted file
without the permission of the author.