Re: [Amc-list] Ownership of AMC Documentation

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

The copyright is to prevent people from abusing the data, not from
using it. READ the copyright notice! It states that the list can be
freely used as long as it's kept intact, and encourages other to copy
and use it. The verbage is loosley copied from GPL (general public
license, I think). The copyright is more a control rather than
ownership. The restrictions are liberal, just keep it intact! 

You have to know the copyrighter's personality and intentions, I guess. 
The intention is to spread the info, but keep it intact and in context. 
I wrtoe a lot about a little "home" computer years ago, even wrote and
sold a little software when it didn't have to be so complicated. All
that has gone beyond it's usefulness to me, but there are still people
who use the old thing! EVERYTHING I wrote for that computer was turned
into public domain or GPL licensed within a few years of when I quit
messing with the computer. I don't hoarde info, I want it distributed
but kept within context. Making it 100% public domain takes that
protection away. Copyrighting and stating that it can be freely
distributed as long as it's kept intact does. I wouldn't say anything
about someone copying a couple states or cities from the list as long
as they credited the source and stated where a complete list could be
found on the Internet. 

Some people make assumptions about copyrights because some commercial
entities have to many lawyers. I'm not out to make a big profit on the
AMC/Rambler info I gather. If I was, I wouldn't be answering questions
freely here. I don't print the magazine for free, but cover my costs. I 
can find better things to do for the $2.50 an hour I "make" on the
magazine, and surely wouldn't put info on a web site and say "copy this 
freely (within some reasonable limitations). Now if the limitations
I've set don't seem reasonable, let me know IN PRIVATE E-MAIL and I'll
consider changing them. 

Most AMC/Rambler info is techincally PD now because of the time and/or
it's been out in the public. Any copyright can only cover the way the
info is displayed and organized at best, not the info itself -- not if
it was obtained from public sources. I even let article writers for
AIM/AMC retain ownership of the article -- I just have liberal reprint
rights (in whole or part) as long as the author is credited. 

Don't let the word "copyright" scare you! 


On May 3, 2007 Archimedes wrote:

> Matt Haas said:
> 
> 
> >You mean like the one at http://www.amcyclopedia.org/?
> 
> 
> You know, I appreciate the effort put into some of these things, but
on the
> other hand, I'd be more willing to contribute to that site were there 
not
> an attempt to claim copyright on the information.
> 
> For instance: the list of AMC dealers.  I know that list was built
off of
> previously published lists (for instance, I have a list my local AMC
dealer
> printed off for me back in 1981).  Yet, the list published on
AMCyclopedia
> claims copyright and restricts how it can be used elsewhere.
> 
> If I contribute to the amcyclopedia list of dealers, my contribution
> apparently becomes the property of Farna Systems.  I'm pretty sure I
> contributed "Pence-Briggs Rambler" to the Richmond, VA listings --
why
> would that that now be copyrighted by Farna?
> 
> Eddie Stakes also has a list of AMC dealerships.
> 
>          http://planethoustonamx.com/bodyAMC.htm
> 
> I don't see that copyright is claimed on it.  Why would there be? 
That
> list is almost identical to the list I was given by my AMC dealer.
> 
> WikiPedia is rapidly being filled in with AMC information, and it's
all
> public domain.  So is www.AMCArchives.org .  I already put up one
page there:
> 
>          http://www.amcarchives.org/index.php/Wheels
> 
> Now, if www.AMCArchives.org were to copyright what I've written, I
wouldn't
> bother.
> 
> OK, I'm off my soapbox.
> 
> -- Marc
> 
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