Re: how much is too much?

[Isaac]

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 12:15:11 +0200, Alexander Terekhov <terekhov@web.de> wrote:
> 
> Isaac wrote:
> [...]
>> > My point is that linking is irrelevant (the copyright law, not GNU
>> > copyleft silliness, doesn't establish exclusive right to link). As
>> > for compiling, installing, and loading/executing, I agree (you
>> > don't need any license for that thanks to 17 USC 117).
>> 
>> In the US at least, linking is not irrelevant because linking may create
>> RAM copies.  
> 
> You mean RAM copying done by compiler and static linker (in 
> addition to loading at execution time)? That falls under 
> "compiling, installing" above. Essentially, it's the same 
> thing as copying the DLL or EXE into some (compressed) folder 
> on your disk. 

Yes I do mean exactly that.

> Apart from that, do you seriously believe that you're violating 
> the law every time you defragment discs, scan for viruses, and 
> do other things like that all involving creation of RAM copies
> of other digital stuff apart from computer programs (music, 
> pics, etc.) because it doesn't fall under 17 USC 117?

I didn't say anything like that.  There are exceptions other than
17 USC 117.

Isaac