Ad absurdum, on copyright

[Georg Wrede]

Walter Bright wrote:
> Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>> Actually I seem to remember that "Numerical recipes in C" was widely 
>> criticized for having incredibly strong restrictions on the published 
>> code.
> 
> The license is, from my copy of the 1987 edition:
> 
> "Although this book and its programs are copyrighted, we specifically 
> authorize you, the reader of this book, to make one machine-readable 
> copy of each program for your own use. [...] Distribution of 

So, if I use one of their programs in /two/ applications (of course, for 
my private use, only), then I have to buy two copies of the book. 
Actually, they never state that I get additional single licences by 
buying further copies, so for two programs and two applications, I still 
can't be sure they'd not sue my pants off of me. Gee, real friends. 
Bobdamn, where the h*ll is the f** shotgun, already!!!

> machine-readable programs (either as copied by you or as purchased) to 
> any other person is not authorized."

Just watched the Eurovision Song Contest. (That's the Biggest Annual TV 
Event in Europe, Israel, North Africa, half of Asia, and Australia and 
New Zealand.) Bands like ABBA of Sweden, were explicitly assembled for 
the contest, and many winners enjoy a huge world-wide success later.

Turns out Eurovision (a subsidiary of the European Broadcast[ers] Union) 
"grid-casts" the show on the net. Now, the client to view with, has an 
"interesting" EULA:

www.octoshape.com/play/EULA.pdf

A ripe quote:

     "You may not collect any information about
     communication in the network of computers
     that are operating the Software or about
     the other users of the Software by monitoring,
     interdicting or intercepting any process of
     the Software. Octoshape recognizes that
     firewalls and anti-virus applications can
     collect such information, in which case you
     not are allowed to use or distribute such
     information."

There is no phrasing fit for a NG that I'd care to formulate about this 
EULA, or its authors.


No normal viewer of the show is likely to ever even notice that such a 
licence exists, or bother to read it, had they even stumbled upon it. 
And the above quote is conveniently embedded, instead of being 
prominently placed in the PDF. (I regularly don't read EULAS or other 
such stuff. I've slowly learned that one can perceive that one's 
understood the text, but when push comes to shove, those b*stards have 
always an innocent looking phrase somewhere that you'd never have 
guessed is the one that ties the noose around your neck. So why not just 
as well skip the crap, and simply rely on good luck (or the plurality of 
similar victims), to go on with your life.)


"The EBU also encourages active collaboration between its Members on the 
basis that they can freely share their knowledge and experience, thus 
achieving considerably more than individual Members could achieve by 
themselves. Much of this collaboration is achieved through Project 
Groups which study specific technical issues of common interest: for 
example, EBU Members have long been preparing for the revision of the 
1961 Stockholm Plan.

"The EBU places great emphasis on the use of open standards. Widespread 
use of open standards (such as MPEG-2, DAB, DVB, etc.) ensures 
interoperability between products from different vendors, as well as 
facilitating the exchange of programme material between EBU Members and 
promoting "horizontal markets" for the benefit of all consumers.

"EBU Members and the EBU Technical Department have long played an 
important role in the development of many systems used in radio and 
television broadcasting[...]"

Yeah. So, how come I must vow to shut my eyes when studying the firewall 
logs???