P3D Re: Copyrights

[Don Chaps <donc@xxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 4 Feb 1998, Ron Fredrickson wrote:

> For what it's worth:
> 
> I attended the quarterly luncheon meeting of the Abbott Laboratories Men's
> Retirement Club today in Waukegan, Illinois. At my table was a guy I've
> known for years, a patent and copyright attorney. I ran the matter of
> copyrights past him, and he said that the material would be copyrighted if
> the author included the copyright symbol (Encircled C which I don't have in
> my e-mail). He was not quite as definite as to what the situation would be
> if there is no copyright with it, but felt that it had no protection in this
> case. That would be my layman's opinion, too.
> 
> Ron Fredrickson 
> 
> 
Was this a retired from practice attorney? Creation of a work now performs
the copyright. It is no longer necessary to attach a symbol to protect
your rights. In the old days if "x" number of of your works were published
without the copyright symbol or acknowledgement you lost your copyright.
(Even if you had nothing to do with the theft and publication)
Now the next to last bastion of thievry, the US, has agreed to
international convention, so these symbols aren't necessary and
registration will get you a larger judgement, but lack of it won't lose
all your rights. Creation of an original work vests the rights with the
creator, so be careful if you decide to steal someone's work, It would be
good to get valid legal representation. Call this this attorney and ask if
his malpractice insurance covers anecdotal stories at dinner parties.


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