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Software copyright statement
A Software Copyright Statement Protects Current and Future Works
If you have a site that is dedicated to the sharing and distribution of open source software it is a great idea to have a software copyright statement that explains the limits of use for your software as well as the limits of your responsibility for those uses. I also recommend getting an attorney to look over the statement before posting it just to be sure there are no legal issues that you may be unaware of.
A software copyright statement doesn't have to be a 10 page booklet on the law or the protections that copyright offers, it should be a simple short paragraph stating the basics and hopefully covering your rear from litigation and/or responsibility should someone use the software you are allowing them to use for something insanely stupid or frighteningly criminal while establishing your ownership of the material and expectations of those you are allowing to use your creation.
This for some is a no brainer because they've done it before and know the ropes. There are new software developers born and made each and every day and this type of software copyright statement may serve to save them a little grief of their own some day. If you are being kind enough to freely share the software you created with others, you'd like to think that they would at least return the favor of using it within the letter of the law or the manner in which it was intended. This, however, is rarely the case so protecting yourself, your copyright, and your future interests by posting a software copyright statement on your website is really the best way to go in a situation such as this.
Trust me I'm not trying to talk anyone out of sharing his or her software with the world. I rather like open source software and admit to using it freely (no pun intended). I love saving money almost as much as I love playing around with new technology. Software allows me to do that and find likes and dislikes about all kinds of programs. Issuing a software copyright statement is one way of protecting your investment of time, effort, energy, and sheer brilliance in the making and design of your technological masterpiece. Hopefully that flattery will keep you going a bit longer at any rate.
It is important to know that a software copyright statement is only part of the process required to protect your software but for the most part poses a significant deterrent to those that would abuse your copyright and/or your kindness in allowing the distribution of your software. Even if you are charging people for the use of your software (we are a nation of capitalists after all) you still need to protect the labor you have put into making not only the software but the distribution method, the website, the payment method and the thousands of other things that are part and parcel of the business model for your software distribution. Your software copyright statement is a very small protection for your software don't expect it to be the brunt of your protection.
Most of the software developers, coders, and programmers (and any other name you wish to call them) that I know aren't as concerned nearly as much about associating their name with the products they create as they are with protecting future potential income from both the products they are currently designing and the future, improvements they will make to the software and the much improved finished product that comes later. By protecting all your work with a software copyright statement you are not only protecting current works but future works as well.
Copyright lawyer complaints Complaints, Copyright Lawyer Complaints and Clients There are many copyright lawyer complaints, from both the lawyer and clients, but here is a list of what are the most popular. That’s right clients aren’t the only one that can have a complaint, even lawyers get them. Imagine working in an office all day representing people. You have to deal with the worse crowd some days, other days are a piece of cake, but it is the person that comes in demanding that you get them what they want right then and there. This person gets mad once the lawyer explains the process and ends up storming out of the office. Now the lawyer is left, angry and without pay. Wouldn’t this fall under a copyright lawyer complaints? As a client you have the choice of picking another lawyer; however a lawyer doesn’t have this option. They need you in order for them to get paid; they aren’t going to turn you down just because you are a bit obnoxious. Another copyright lawyer complaint may also be towards the clients, lawyers hate to work a case that others have already tried…or worse one that the client has tried himself without legal representation. To avoid this, hire a lawyer before you go to court. Don’t think you are an expert in the field just because you read a few articles or have seen a few cases on copyrighting on the television. One of the biggest copyright lawyer complaints is that the client didn’t know that the lawyer was going to charge something. This is one reason you should find out before agreeing to anything what it is you, as a client, will be paying. You don’t want to find out after the trial that you owe a huge amount of money to a lawyer that you don’t have the cash for. A copyright lawyer complaint may be that their client doesn’t have the proof they need for a case. This can be easily solved by the client if they took the proper precautions, however chances are they didn’t or they wouldn’t be needing a lawyer. Try keeping all your work in a safe place with dates stamped on them to prove when they were created. This doesn’t guarantee you that you will win a case but it can help your lawyer. Last, you, as the client didn’t know much about your copyright lawyer, complaints were filed against him in the past but you had no knowledge of them. Maybe he just lost your case because he gets angry at the drop of a hat and just showed it in the courtroom, or maybe he just didn’t return your phone calls and you had no clue when you had to be at a hearing. This will only fall back on you for not looking into him/her enough. There are a ton of resources out there, use them. Don’t just pick the first name you see. If you think that you have a case against your lawyer you can always file a claim. The best way to avoid copyright lawyer complaints is by making sure both parties are satisfied with the experience. If you are the lawyer, find out in the first meeting what your client expects of you and as a client find out what it is your lawyer will be doing for you so you don’t make assumptions. Making sure everyone has a clear understanding of what shall take place is the only way to have the best experience. Remember, a happy client means a returning client and more customers. But a client with a bunch of copyright lawyer complaints is bad for business. Business writing: What it is and Tips to Help You (business writing) Business writing is much more precise and less detail oriented than other styles of writing. In writing for a business there are a few elements you must know. Your knowledge or lack there of these elements can make or break your business writing career. Your goal for business writing is to strive for clarity and precision, yet not be too vague or elaborate. Examples of business writing would be emails, business plans, brochures, and many more. Virtually anything writings that pertain to a business are classified as business writing. When people read business writings they are not only looking for what happened and why, but how you are handling the situation at hand. A person reading a business writing that has an organized and concise style with an active tone is going to heed a much better result and give confidence that any matters will be taken care of. Organize your thoughts. The more organized you are the quicker and easier it will be for you to put your words in a decisive and orderly style. Your writing should be grammatically correct along with the proper usage of capitalization and punctuation. These errors can cause misinterpretations amongst the readers of your business writings. An example of correct and incorrect punctuations would be “We are missing the actress Jane.” Or “We are missing the actress, Jane.” While both are correct, they mean two entirely different things. Business writing is backwards or upside down from other writings. You start with the ending and then give a brief synopsis on how you got to that point. You may include other avenues that were considered and why they were not chosen. Have a positive attitude. Even if you are conveying a message that has on outcome other than optimal a positive tone will bring a much better response. Tell your readers what good came about from the outcome. Tell them what you can do with these results. For example a non-profit agency held a fundraiser. They were hoping to bring in $25,000 for building repairs and play ground equipment. Unfortunately, they only got $15,000. Positive tone writing would be “Our fundraiser was successful. We can now begin building repairs.” Or “The new playground equipment will be delivered tomorrow due to our successful fundraiser.” Even though it was not as much of a success as you would have liked, by keeping a positive attitude and showing people what can be done will promote a positive attitude in the future. A negative tone might be something like “Since our fundraiser was not as successful as we had hoped, we will have to choose between playground equipment and builder repairs.” This approach could be unfavorable to future fundraisers because it seems as though you are unthankful for what you did get. Being positive shows your appreciation for the hard work or donations that you have received. Don’t play the blame game. Even if you know whose fault it is a deal fell through there is no need to start a mud-flinging contest. Surely, the person responsible is already aware of the situation and chances are so is everyone else. Down the line they are not going to remember whose fault it was, but they will remember who was naming names. This is not only very unprofessional, it is malicious and that is not how you would like to be talked about. Finally using an active voice will promote a better reception to your business writing than a passive one. An active voice shows that you are in control and are aware of how or why things are going to happen. |