Copyrights (slib)

8.6 Copyrights

This section has instructions for SLIB authors regarding copyrights.

Each package in SLIB must either be in the public domain, or come with a statement of terms permitting users to copy, redistribute and modify it. The comments at the beginning of require.scm and macwork.scm illustrate copyright and appropriate terms.

If your code or changes amount to less than about 10 lines, you do not need to add your copyright or send a disclaimer.

Putting code into the Public Domain
Explicit copying terms
Example: Company Copyright Disclaimer

8.6.1 Putting code into the Public Domain

In order to put code in the public domain you should sign a copyright disclaimer and send it to the SLIB maintainer. Contact agj@alum.mit.edu for the address to mail the disclaimer to.

I, <my-name>, hereby affirm that I have placed the software package <name> in the public domain.

I affirm that I am the sole author and sole copyright holder for the software package, that I have the right to place this software package in the public domain, and that I will do nothing to undermine this status in the future.
signature and date

This wording assumes that you are the sole author. If you are not the sole author, the wording needs to be different. If you don’t want to be bothered with sending a letter every time you release or modify a module, make your letter say that it also applies to your future revisions of that module.

Make sure no employer has any claim to the copyright on the work you are submitting. If there is any doubt, create a copyright disclaimer and have your employer sign it. Mail the signed disclaimer to the SLIB maintainer. Contact agj@alum.mit.edu for the address to mail the disclaimer to. An example disclaimer follows.

8.6.2 Explicit copying terms

If you submit more than about 10 lines of code which you are not placing into the Public Domain (by sending me a disclaimer) you need to:

Arrange that your name appears in a copyright line for the appropriate year. Multiple copyright lines are acceptable.
With your copyright line, specify any terms you require to be different from those already in the file.
Make sure no employer has any claim to the copyright on the work you are submitting. If there is any doubt, create a copyright disclaimer and have your employer sign it. Mail the signed disclaim to the SLIB maintainer. Contact agj@alum.mit.edu for the address to mail the disclaimer to.

8.6.3 Example: Company Copyright Disclaimer

This disclaimer should be signed by a vice president or general manager of the company. If you can’t get at them, anyone else authorized to license out software produced there will do. Here is a sample wording:

<employer> Corporation hereby disclaims all copyright interest in the program <program> written by <name>.

<employer> Corporation affirms that it has no other intellectual property interest that would undermine this release, and will do nothing to undermine it in the future.

<signature and date>, <name>, <title>, <employer> Corporation