[mapserver-dev] Maporaclespatial.c

[Frank Warmerdam]

Normand Savard wrote:
> Nobody answers to these questions yet ...
> 
> Norm
> 
> Steve Lime wrote:
>> Hi all: I have contacted the authors of that code and have gotten 
>> permission to:
>>
>>   - remove their licensing language and insert the standard MapServer 
>> license
>>   - assign copyright to whomever we see fit (UMN?)
>>
>> Not wanting to leave well enough alone this brings up a couple of 
>> questions:
>>
>>   - who has rights to assign copyright in the first place?

Steve,

The copyright holder is generally the person who wrote the code, or
their employer.  The copyright holder is generally the only one who
can reassign copyright

>> For example, I could add a "Copyright ... ESRI." statement to a source 
>> file but does that really mean anything. Also then,
>>
>>   - who has rights to re-assign copyright down the road.
>>
>> Let's say a developer did put a statement like the one above in a 
>> source file. Can
>> that developer remove or change it or must the organization mentioned 
>> be approached even if they had no knowledge of this in the first place.

The Copyright statement has little actual legal implication as far
as I know.  Putting one in a file does not give the individual or
organization named copyright ownership for the file, nor does removing
it take it away.   It should be treated as documentation (IMHO) - try
to keep it reasonable reflective of the primary contributor(s) but don't
stress about it too much.

Best regards,
-- 
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I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org