Copyright Infringements?

[Steven Weisenburger]

The other day's posting of Jules Siegal's "Who is Thomas Pynchon" piece,
plus Brian Stonehill's news about postings elsewhere of Pynchon's
"Luddite" and "Nearer my Couch Articles" prompts this note from me . . .

Reluctantly, I strongly advise us to knock it off.  Recent court cases
have set clear precendents in this area:  you post copyrighted
materials to electronic lists and bulletin boards, and both the list
and you are legally vulnerable.  Penalties include fines, seizures of
assets, the closing of the lists, etc.  Last week's case against the
Prodigy people makes the point.  Also, a month ago in my hometown the
federales descended upon a nice, upper-middle class home howned by
a physician whose 24 year old son was operating a list out of their
basement.  Unbeknownst to him someone on the list had posted Windows-
95 in its test-release version.  The young man's out on a $100K bond,
and his parents' house is for now a seized asset.

Well okay, Jules Siegal is a lousy writer and also no Bill Gates 'n'
Microsoft Intl.  It's unlikely you'd see a suit from Siegal or from
whomever holds the copyright (like Playboy? well humm . . . . maybe
you would?).  But Siegal did a job of work, which is protected, and
you've got to respect that.

Then there's the case of Mr. P, Jr.  He DOES hold the rights to
those pieces, Brian, as we well know.  And my experience with the
writer, through his agent, tells me that he/they are vigorous,
meticulous, and not at all generous w/r/t these issues.

Here's the thing.  Like others I enjoy evesdropping, mostly, on
this list.  It endangers the list, as well as its operator (Jody,
you out there?) when anyone violates copyright laws.

These pieces are all SO EASY to get, anyway.  And if one's got
the time to actually sit at one's keyboard and ener the whole
dang article one needs to get a life, I suspect . . . . . .

HI-ho.     SW