-------- Original Message --------
Subject: legal basics on open source
Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2003 12:44:58 +0000
From: john b <bcls99 [ at ] hotmail [ dot ] com>
To: KKOUM [ at ] grnet [ dot ] gr
CC: zoipan [ at ] grnet [ dot ] gr
geia sas Kosta kai Zoi,
gia tin prospatheia open-source pou thelo na kano, epikoinonisa me ton
dikigoro tou open source foundation stin ameriki.
mou eipe ta exis vasika, pou isos tha itan xrisimo na anakoinosei to ellak
(alla opos isxyoun stin ellada)
Copyright applies to expressive content, it is worldwide, no formality is
needed !
e.g if you publish your work in country X, it is automatically protected as
far copyright goes in country Y.
A copyright notice helps, as does registering with the Library of Congress
(USA);
How is it in Greece?
A patent covers ideas, it is for the first inventor only. The patent
procedure is a national, not international procedure and it can be
expensive.
To get a patent in the USA may easily cost $10k and it does not cover
Europe.
A license (GPL etc.) can be based on (comes after) a copyright. It may
include a license to a patent!
(patent and open-source are not mutually exclusive!)
A publication of invention equals proof of first invention and it keeps
other people from getting a patent on this, but they can make a product
based on your ideas!
yiannis bouchlis
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