On Thu, Feb 26, 2004 at 01:09:42PM +0100, Alfred M. Szmidt ams@kemisten.nu wrote:
> > I have improved a code that is public domain (it has no > > copyright). Is it possible to make my improved version > > GPL. Is it useful. > > It is possible > > Only if one considers a work that lacks a copyright header > something that is in the public domain, which I belive is not > the case.
He claimed that it is public domain.
He claimed that it was PD based on the lack of a copyright header, Alex Hudson noted that just because it lacks a copyright header doesn't mean that it is PD.
if this is the case, the "public domain" category description on
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html#PublicDomainSoftware
might be wrong, because it suggests that code without a copyright is public domain.
I'm interest in how someone can be certain, wether code without a copyright header is public domain or not? Does anybody know this?
Regards Volker