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previous: SpeedRacer It would seem from his POV that he ... -- 11/2/1999 6:25 PM

Re: Schematics & Copyrights

11/2/1999 7:48 PM
Dwight	Re: Schematics & Copyrights I have been following this string with some interest and decided to jump in when the issue of the "secrecy agreement" came up. I would be interested to see a copy of this agreement if anyone has access to it. My common sense tells me that this type of agreement is not worth the paper it is written on. Could Ford or Chevrolet insist that you not open the hood and work on your car? I think Speed hit it on the head when he speculated that this agreement is an attempt to circumvent legitimate patent issues. I believe common law considers a contract void if it is clearly one-sided (I'd have to go back and look at some books). I'm sure ther are other issues I am not aware of, but the reality of it is that litigation or the threat of litigation can be a powerful tool in the hands of those with deep pockets. Is someone going to take on a company and its lawyers to post some schematics on the web? Probably not. Are those postings illegal? Porbably not. What happened to the OLGA site is a perfect example of this type of legal shakedown. One must consider that the spirt of the patent and copyright laws is to protect companies and individuals from being victimized by those who would profit from work that is not theirs. Frankly, I do not see any of that going on on this site. Try to walk into a repair shop and get the kind of information out of the tech (If he know it) that you get here.

11/2/1999 7:48 PM

Dwight

Re: Schematics & Copyrights

I have been following this string with some interest and decided to jump in when the issue of the "secrecy agreement" came up. I would be interested to see a copy of this agreement if anyone has access to it. My common sense tells me that this type of agreement is not worth the paper it is written on. Could Ford or Chevrolet insist that you not open the hood and work on your car? I think Speed hit it on the head when he speculated that this agreement is an attempt to circumvent legitimate patent issues. I believe common law considers a contract void if it is clearly one-sided (I'd have to go back and look at some books). I'm sure ther are other issues I am not aware of, but the reality of it is that litigation or the threat of litigation can be a powerful tool in the hands of those with deep pockets. Is someone going to take on a company and its lawyers to post some schematics on the web? Probably not. Are those postings illegal? Porbably not. What happened to the OLGA site is a perfect example of this type of legal shakedown. One must consider that the spirt of the patent and copyright laws is to protect companies and individuals from being victimized by those who would profit from work that is not theirs. Frankly, I do not see any of that going on on this site. Try to walk into a repair shop and get the kind of information out of the tech (If he know it) that you get here.