[NCLUG] Breaking news! SCO is full of crap (big surprise)

[mbutcher at aleph-null.tv]

Quoting jbass at dmsd.com:

> Under the law, worst case, SCO can claim that nearly every
> line of code derived from illegally copied/derived/tainted
> code introduced into Linux is also code derived from their
> designs, architecture, methodology, practice, etc.

Not under Copyright law they can't. From
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html :

How do I protect my idea?
Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing
something. You may express your ideas in writing or drawings and claim copyright
in your description, but be aware that copyright will not protect the idea
itself as revealed in your written or artistic work.

> There are many examples of this same theory in other areas
> protected by copyright ... particulary fictional writings
> where the characters, settings, names, plot, etc ... are all
> protected from knock offs and other authors attempting to
> capitalize on the popularity of a story line by writing
> additional episodes and/or plots using the same characters
> and/or settings which are clearly derivative of the popular
> work.

To my knowledge that is not true (and http://www.copyright.gov confirms this).
Copyright covers expression -- not names, places, plots, ideas, etc. If I want
to, I may copy places ideas and plots from other stories. In fact, J.K. Rowling
won her suit against allegations of this sort of "plagarism" a few years ago.

This is why some series creators (e.g. Lucasfilms) trademark everything.

Matt