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Subject: Re: OT - Was it illegal?

Author: Volker Annuss

Date: 03:43:32 12/10/04

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On December 10, 2004 at 06:07:58, Gabor Szots wrote:

>Once I was asked by a fellow winboard member to send him a file because he had
>problems with the download. The file was too big to send via e-mail so I put it
>on my web page from where it could be downloaded for a couple of days.
>Now was this illegal?
That depends on the copyright for this file. As long as you provide only a link
by e-mail and do not make it available to all (including search engines) you
have a good chance that nobody will complain, even if it is illegal.

Take my engine Hermann as an example. When you download it from my site, I allow
private use. I am now a lawyer, but I thought until yesterday that everyone
would agree, that private use is playing chess games with it. So if you send it
to someone by mail, this is illegal. I will not complain if you do so.
If you offer it for download it is illegal. I will not complain if you upload it
to your website, send a link to some friends and remove it some days later. But
you will definitely get much trouble, when you offer it for download for the
whole world.

>I feel the case is similar to what Peter Skinner did with
>Arena.
This case is different.
- There are no problems with the download from http://www.playwitharena.com .
Everyone can download it from there. You do not need a password for the arena
forum for that.
- Although he writes, the license allows him to offer it, he should know that
this is not true. Read http://www.playwitharena.com/directory/copyright.htm and
not only the parts Peter Skinner quotes.
- Peter Skinner knows very well, that the arena team does not want him to offer
the download. He intentionally continues to offer it.

Greetings,
Volker



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