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Subject:Re: Using technical information from an From:"Key,Sharon" <skey -at- AGEDWARDS -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 9 Sep 1997 11:10:34 -0500
You may want to dig a bit deeper about this. It is my understanding
(although I'm not a lawyer) that as of 1989, it is no longer necessary to
place a copyright statement on a document in order for it to carry a
copyright. My philosophy is when in doubt always obtain permission.
Sharon Key
Senior Tech Writer
A. G. Edwards, Inc.
skey -at- agedwards -dot- com
----------
From: Donald Ray
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: Using technical information from an
Date: Tuesday, September 09, 1997 10:11AM
Check the front of the manual. If you find a copyright, then you can't
use it unless you obtain written permission from the copyright owner(s).
Faced with a similar problem, our legal department worked out an
agreements with the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to obtain soft
copies of their documentation and replace the OEM's name with ours.
>----------
>From: WS Mendler[SMTP:wmendler -at- PTDPROLOG -dot- NET]
>Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 1997 8:55 AM
>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject: Re: Using technical information from another company
>
>This brings up another question... As more and more companies make and
>use third-party "widgets" for use in other people's software, what are the
>implications for documentation? We've integrated third-party
>spellcheckers and graphing modules into our products recently -- and
>sometimes those products come with their own Help files. Is it legit to
>point to that file from my own manual or online help?
>
>//skip
>
> On Tue, 9 Sep 1997, Katherin King wrote:
>
>> Subject: Using technical information from another company
>>
>> I'm documenting a feature which integrates our software with another
>> company's hardware. I want to provide an overview of the hardware
>>component,
>> but I don't know enough about it to write anything from scratch. Can I
use
>> their description? Do I have to reword it, or can I use it "as is"? Does
>> this fall under copywrite law or something?
>>
>
>WS (Skip) Mendler wmendler -at- cornetltd -dot- com
>Documentation & Information Specialist
>CorNet International, Stroudsburg PA
>
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