Lpc2000

Tom,

I'm inclined to agree with Paul and just bow out of this discussion, 
which is going nowhere and is certainly off-topic.

However, before doing this, I would point out that you can't 
copyright an algorithm.

Common practice, and I see nothing wrong with it despite your 
objection, is to copyright all source code that is created within an 
organisation. If it's a straight copy of something else, that's 
something else. From what Paul says, it sounds like what he's done is 
a long way from a straight copy (unless I missed the XML addendum to 
the Philips documantation, that is)

Brendan


--- In lpc2000@yahoogroups.com, Tom Walsh <tom@o...> wrote:
>
> brendanmurphy37 wrote:
> 
> >I agree: most commercial companies (and certainly most large 
> >companies) more or less have to operate on this basis (i.e. 
copyright 
> >everything they do).
> >
> >Don't forget that just because something is copyright doesn't mean 
to 
> >say it can't be freely distributed under whatever terms the 
company 
> >or organisation chooses.
> >
> >I have to say, I'd be a bit concerned if someone was distributing 
> >copyright material without explicit permission from the owner, 
> >regardless of how trivial it might seem. The alternative is an 
> >interesting take on the law (i.e. "I'll ignore it if I think it 
> >trivial").
> >
> >As you point out, Paul, someone put the effort into creating the 
work 
> >in the first place. If they want to distribute it freely (and as 
you 
> >point out, there's plenty of cases where they'd be mad to do 
> >otherwise), that's fine. However, I'd certainly check before 
offering 
> >somone else's work around first (I'm not implying this wasn't done 
in 
> >this case, by the way: just making a general observation).
> >
> >Brendan
> >
> >  
> >
> By Paul's reasoning, if you took the source to an application and 
handed 
> it to someone to retype, then you "own" the copyright to that 
work!  
> That is what I'm saying.  So, taking a PDF, XML, or marking on mud 
> tablets, rewriting it in your own style does not make that an 
original 
> work.  It is merely transcription.
> 
> I admit, this is a very sore point with me.  People who claim 
copyright 
> over trivial, or commonly known algorithms are doing everyone a dis-
service.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> TomW
> 
> 
> -- 
> Tom Walsh - WN3L - Embedded Systems Consultant
> http://openhardware.net, http://cyberiansoftware.com
> "Windows? No thanks, I have work to do..."
> ----------------------------------------------------
>