Re: copyright info AND missing

[will johnston <johnston@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The ignorance concerning what is or is not protected by copyright law in
the U.S.A. is running rampant.  The laws are very imprecise in practice and
practically impossible to enforce unless there is a demonstrably clear
intent to appropriate the work of another for one's own benefit through
supplying that which was appropriated to a third party.

The printed material from our national [small generic n] Parkinson's
organizations usually has the copyright symbol and/or written copyright
statement attached. One of the main purposes of our organizations is the
dissemination of information. Copyright is usually intended to do exactly
the opposite.

I questioned a major PD organization about this and was told that the
copyright was put in their publications to keep people from supplying
misinformation which might be created by quoting something out of context.
Copyright laws clearly allow almost no protection against anyone quoting a
sentence or two from any source [with or without copyright] , with or
without permission for commercial or non-profit use.  The result is exactly
the opposite of their stated intention.

Will