From joker@mother.ent.rochester.edu  Wed Dec 16 09:32:31 1992
Received: from mother.ent.rochester.edu by roundtable.cif.rochester.edu (4.1/1.15) id AA08148; Wed, 16 Dec 92 09:32:31 EST
Received: by mother.ent.rochester.edu (5.57/Ultrix3.0-C)
	id AA15128; Wed, 16 Dec 92 09:30:08 -0500
Message-Id: <9212161430.AA15128@mother.ent.rochester.edu>
From: joker@mother.ent.rochester.edu (Larry Moss)
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 09:30:07 -0500
X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (7.2.3 5/22/91)
To: balloon@cif.cif.rochester.edu
Subject: copyrights

Before anyone else asks about it, here's why I put a copyright on the
stuff I posted and what it means to me.  There was a discussion about
this when I first talked abotu starting this list.  I believe it was on
alt.magic.  No one made a big deal about it.  I just figured that since
one person questioned it, it was worth explaining.  There were enough
people interested in the discussion of copyrights on balloon sculptures
the last time it came up that it can't hurt to repeat the major points.

First off, I am not trying to lay claim to the figures themselves.  If I
wanted to do that I'd never post them at all.  If I post somethign that
you like, I don't expect or want you to state where you learned it every
time the figure is made (afterall, I'm not Michael Moschen).  A bunch of
the things I've posted weren't even my own creations.  I just took the
time to explain them in a written form.  That's the part that I want to
remain mine.  I didn't think putting a copyright on my drawings would
draw any more attention than all the software that gets posted with
copyrights.  A copyright in this country is just a claim to the written
work (well, with the "Look and Feel" nonsense aside).  The alternative to
putting a copyright on what gets posted is to release something into the
public domain.  In that case, anyone can do whatever they want with it,
including sell it.  In my case, I chose to give these instructions away,
however if they are going to be sold, I'm the one that's going to sell
them.

Instructions in a balloon book are the same as in any how to book.  You
can write about building anythign you want, as long as the words and
pictures used in describing it are your own.  How many cookbooks have the
same recipes in them?  The only way to restrict the use of the balloon
figure would be to patent it.  That's not the point of this mailing
list.  If I post something, feel free to make copies if you think the
stuff is good enough.  Teach other people how to make the stuff if you
want.  Print it in your local magic or juggling club newsletter if you
need to fill up some space.

(Maybe a little controversy is needed on this list to stir up some
discussion. :-)  Anyone disagree with any of this?)

Larry