Re: implementing reiserfs in C++ for a new OS

[Hans Reiser <reiser@namesys.com>]

Spam wrote:

>  
>
>>Markus Törnqvist wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>On Tue, Aug 10, 2004 at 12:51:26PM -0700, Hans Reiser wrote:
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Yes, but it protects the expression not just in every literal word, but
>>>>in the sense of it.  Look at the lawsuits over ripping off movie script
>>>>writers.
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
><snip>
>  
>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Taking the essence of our expression, and transforming it into C++ and
>>>>Indian, will not avoid infringement of our copyright.  Our documentation
>>>>is as protected as  the source code, probably more so, because we 
>>>>haven't GPL'd everything on the website.
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>I have nothing but respect for you, your team and your work, but this
>>>is a bit wrong.
>>>
>>>Sure the documentation is copyrighted, but it's the actual documentation,
>>>not the idea behind it, that is copyrighted.
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>There is an idea, and then there is an expression of an idea.  
>>expression is not just the letters, or the words, it is somewhere 
>>between the exact characters and the idea.
>>    
>>
>
>  I  do  not  believe  that copyright protects ideas, only the written
>  texts, graphics, and music.
>
>  Take  as  an  example a inventor. If he has an idea that he wants to
>  protect he would need to patent it to protect it. Otherwise only his
>  work  can be protected with copyright. I am not sure that the actual
>  invention can be copyrighted either.
>
>  In  this  case  with  Hans,  Namesys and reiserfs/reiser4 the actual
>  written  code  and  documentation  etc  is covered by copyright. The
>  ideas  behind  the filesystems are not. They would only be protected
>  by patents.
>
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>  
>
If you translate a poem into french, it is still rightfully copyright 
protected by the original author.

But hey, these guys are just doing this work for academic purposes they 
say and not releasing it to the world, so I think they are not going to 
be violating the GPL, so it is all nothing to worry about.  Maybe this 
sort of thing makes for a good student assignment in their view, I don't 
know....

Hans