5 ms·

An honest question: Isn't it that in some legal systems, an absence of license means public domain?

slashdotaccount 12y ago
Most of the world implemented the Berne Convention, which creates a thing called "copyright". In the world of copyright, absence of license means all rights reserved, except for "fair use", "fair dealing" and similar exceptions. In the world outside copyright law everything is in the public domain, no licenses necessary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention
- sp332 12y ago
  The Berne Convention didn't invent copyright.
  - schme 12y ago
    I don't think that was ever implied.
    - sp332 12y ago
      Well, you can have copyright without declaring that everything is copyrighted when it is created. A lot of countries had systems like that until they ratified the Berne Convention.
    - dragonwriter 12y ago
      No, it wasn't implied, it was stated outright that the Berne Convention "creates a thing called copyright" (when, in fact, the Berne Convention harmonizes certain provisions of copyright law among those countries who adhere to it.)
DrStalker 12y ago
While I'm sure there is a legal system somewhere in the world that does that most places have automatic rights for intellectual property, even if you give it away for free. Trying to use this font for business would result in compliance issues, because it's unclear what you can and can't do with it.
huskyr 12y ago
Before 1989 the United States required a copyright symbol and year of publishing on every work. After 1989, i don't know of any country that still does this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright#Copyright_notices_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright#Copyright_notices_in...
__anders__ 12y ago
AFAIK in USA at least, until 1976 that was the deal. From that year on, everything is copyright by default. This change was because The Night of the Living Dead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead#Copyright_status http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead#Copyri...
Tuna-Fish 12y ago
It's possible in any of the countries that are gray on this map, but I'm not sure if any of them actually do it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berne_Convention_signatories.svg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berne_Convention_signatori... In general, unless you live in Burma or something, you can assume that if you don't have a license, you can't do anything with any content.

Most of the world implemented the Berne Convention, which creates a thing called "copyright". In the world of copyright, absence of license means all rights reserved, except for "fair use", "fair dealing" and similar exceptions. In the world outside copyright law everything is in the public domain, no licenses necessary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention

sp332 12y ago
The Berne Convention didn't invent copyright.
- schme 12y ago
  I don't think that was ever implied.
  - sp332 12y ago
    Well, you can have copyright without declaring that everything is copyrighted when it is created. A lot of countries had systems like that until they ratified the Berne Convention.
  - dragonwriter 12y ago
    No, it wasn't implied, it was stated outright that the Berne Convention "creates a thing called copyright" (when, in fact, the Berne Convention harmonizes certain provisions of copyright law among those countries who adhere to it.)

DrStalker 12y ago

While I'm sure there is a legal system somewhere in the world that does that most places have automatic rights for intellectual property, even if you give it away for free. Trying to use this font for business would result in compliance issues, because it's unclear what you can and can't do with it.

huskyr 12y ago

Before 1989 the United States required a copyright symbol and year of publishing on every work. After 1989, i don't know of any country that still does this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright#Copyright_notices_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright#Copyright_notices_in...

__anders__ 12y ago

AFAIK in USA at least, until 1976 that was the deal. From that year on, everything is copyright by default. This change was because The Night of the Living Dead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead#Copyright_status http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead#Copyri...

Tuna-Fish 12y ago

It's possible in any of the countries that are gray on this map, but I'm not sure if any of them actually do it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berne_Convention_signatories.svg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berne_Convention_signatori... In general, unless you live in Burma or something, you can assume that if you don't have a license, you can't do anything with any content.