Cubic Dollars

[Roger Heflin]

On Wed, 27 Jan 1999, Greg Hermann wrote:

> Hi All--
> 
> Some more thoughts on ecm's and their code and copyrights:
> 
> 1. A copyright is something that must be actively obtained by the original
> creator of copyrightable material. One of the active steps which must be
> taken to protect one's copyright interests is to mark each copy of the
> material with the symbol (c in a circle) and date, and the creator's name.
> (This may be done only on the copyright page of a bound book, to be
> sufficient.) For loose leaf stuff, like engineering plans or
> specifications, it is far wiser to mark each sheet if you want protection.
> As to PCB's, I believe that they need to be marked appropriately  if the
> creator wants any protection. For software, I believe that each copy
> distributed must contain a notice, and each diskette must be marked.
> 
> IF THESE STEPS ARE NOT CARRIED OUT, NO COPYRIGHT PROTECTION MAY BE CLAIMED!!!!

You *do not* have to file anything.  The originator has copyright
protection without filing.   Under the new rules that I believe the
major governments agreed on you do not even have to have the copyright
symbol on the document, you only have to be able to prove you were the
originator of the info (sometimes difficult).

> 
> 2. You can publish and distribute material (any of the above) with the
> markings, and be protected, so long as you take appropriate steps to
> perfect (complete) the copyright within a fixed length of time. This step
> involves submitting a record copy of the material to DC, which gets
> archived.

No recorded copy is required.

> 
> 3. I have never looked--does GM (for instance) put the c in a circle symbol
> on their ecu PCB's??? (BRUCE???)
> (Together with the other required info.) I have seen this stuff on plenty
> of PCB's, but dunno as to ecu's. IF THE COPYRIGHT SYMBOL AND OTHER REQUIRED
> INFO IS NOT ON THE PCB, THE BOARD DESIGN IS PUBLIC DOMAIN. PERIOD!!! YOU
> WOULD BE FREE TO COPY IT AT WILL!!!!
> 

Nothing is public domain automatically, the originator has to declear
it public domain.

> 4. I know of no copyright info that you get (not to mention any agreement)
> in re the software in the ecu that you get or execute when you buy the car
> (see earlier post on this), so the software in mfgr ecu's has about gotta
> be public domain stuff!!
> 
> HERE IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING:
> 
> Do any of the software oriented folks out there know what material you have
> to submit to complete a copyright on software???? Or does anybody even
> bother cuz of the development cycle being so short????
> 
> Is source code, etc. required as a part of the submission??
> 

As I said there is no submission process.  They use a submission
process for books I believe, but just because it is not submitted does
not mean they cannot get you.  


> If I am wrong about the software in the mfgr ecu's being devoid of any
> copyright protection, then all the documentation, as required to complete
> the copyright, just as for any other kind of software should be public
> record wherever it is that such archives are kept. (Prolly available on the
> web!)
> 
> If the mfgrs really have copyrighted their ecu software, the copyright
> archives might well be a treasure trove of info for hacking them, depending
> on how much documentation must be submitted to get the copyright!!!!!!!
> 
> If, as I suspect very strongly, the mfgrs have not copyrighted their ecu
> software, we,  and all the chip-makers too, are, in fact, free to do any
> damn thing we want to with it, including pass out exact copies of it,
> either for free or for profit!!
> 
> Either way, no bloody wonder the mfgrs are tight with the details of their
> software!!
> 
> Regards, Greg
> 
> 
>