copyright notice

[Don Steiny]

Having read the following on the net.
> >	
> >>  (C) 1986 Joe Random is not a valid copyright.
> >>  Copyright 1986 Joe Random is.

I replied

> >	According to the same book, p. 29:
> >
> >	The internationally recognized copyright symbox, [circle
> >with a C in it], should always be the first part of the notice.
> >Since CRT screens and most dot matrix printers don't have a [circle
> >with a C in it], you can substitute and use a (C).  The
> >second part of the notice is the word "Copyright."  Technically
> >this is unnecessary as long as you have a [circle with a C in it], . . .
> >
To which Tim Smith said:

> (C) is NOT a valid substitute for [circle with a C in it], according
> to the software law book I read.  
> 
> [ The book I read was "A Software Law Primer" ( or something like
> that... see the posting in net.legal with the subject "Software Law (
> and copyright )", where I give the name, author and ISBN number of the
> book ]

	It appears the experts disagree.  The stuff I typed in above
came from "Legal Care For Your Software", by Daniel Remer, Nolo Press
(C) 1984.

	My lawyer and the lawyers for the company I am currently 
writing software for (Hewlett-Packard) insist on BOTH the (C) and
the word "Copyright."   The (C) is an international symbol, recognized
in countries that do not use English.

	One reason to put a copyright notice in source you post
to the net is to establish that you have a legitimate right to
give it away.   

	I recently sold some software and a good portion of the
license was a warantee that I owned it and had the right to sell it.

-- 
scc!steiny
Don Steiny @ Don Steiny Software 
109 Torrey Pine Terrace
Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060
(408) 425-0382