Re: (PM) killer competition:free internet

Paul Gregg (pgregg@niweb.com)
Sat, 10 Apr 1999 21:55:59 GMT

Dick St.Peters <stpeters@NetHeaven.com> wrote:
> term "Free-Net" is copyrighted by nptn.org, and all it means is that a
> group has an nptn.org franchise and can use the term in its
> fundraising. Some franchised Free-Nets charge the going commercial
> rate in their area for access after using the term to pry donations
> out of unwitting corporations and government agencies.

> A few years ago the lawyer who headed nptn.org was passing out threats
> to people who used "freenet" or any similar term in postings on the
> net, saying that violated his copyright. I got one.

He would have to establish the copyright in court to make it stick.
As long as someone (anyone) could show prior use of the term "Freenet"
(and surely it's a generic) then his "copyright" is a pile of shit.

Paul Gregg

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