Re: New Arcadia/IRUS AFLEX-AYACC release

[prism!jm59@gatech.edu (MILLS,JOHN M.)]

In article <1993Jan7.075406.6948@sei.cmu.edu> firth@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Firth) 
writes:
>In article <9301061627.aa17219@Paris.ics.uci.edu> irus-software-request@ics.uc
i.edu writes:
>
>> THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR
>> IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED
>> WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

[ deletions ]
 >
 >As of 1993 January 1, all products distribuited within the European
 >Community carry an implied warranty of merchantability, including
 >all computer related products, and this warranty cannot be disclaimed.
 >
 >In most countries of the EC, in fact, it is illegal to attempt to
 >disclaim this implied warranty; in the United Kingdom (at least),
 >it is a *criminal offence* to do so.

This sounds like a serious problem with regard to freely shared software.
The cited distribution is such a case:  ftp and try it out.  no charge,
and no way the offerror could afford to assume liability for misuse.

I think it _essential_ that a mechanism exist to allow such distribution.
Possibly this can be addressed by distributing such materials as 'examples
and illustrations only.'  Alternatively, EC distribution of archive files could
 
be made technically illegal ... I don't know.  Sounds like
a good (? [8-P) moment for lawyerly prose.  I'm _not_ a lawyer, but I 
imagine there is a way to handle this.  How about copyright?

 >About time too, if you want my opinion.

I must disagree, for the reasons stated above.  Casual re-use of copied
materials should be at the risk of the user, since the distributor has
no control over the re-use.

Otherwise, the EC has just shot off their foot, leg, and most of
their lower torso, with regard to network access.  Probably will hurt
the rest of us, too, by the cascading effects of caution, and engender
_lots_ more lawyerly prose. <sigh>

"Send me your tired, your gcc, your huddled GNAT Adas, longing to be free..."

I'm glad you raised the issue.

Regards --jmm--

-- 
John M. Mills, SRE; Georgia Tech/GTRI/TSDL, Atlanta, GA 30332
uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!jm59
Internet: jm59@prism.gatech.edu
 ... Not so fast -- I'm still thinking.