Some specific info on 'implied' copyright. http://www.bitlaw.com/copyright/license.html The best that Declan can hope for is a 'non-exclusive' copyright, but even that would require an exchange (ie a meeting of minds) between the two parties. However, that won't fly since, as an operator of at least one of the nodes, the policy is that you as the original author release no rights by participating in the CDR itself, implied or otherwise - which I've stated many times (check the archives). So the 'implied' contract perspective falls down because one of the parties involved has EXPLICITLY made known the conditions of use. That over-rides ANY implied anything. Further, by the other nodes agreeing not to modify backbone traffic they have explicitly agreed to this for all parties NOT SUBSCRIBED TO THEIR NODE. What we do have is a EXPRESS LICENSE between node operators. And then a (potentialy) implied (unless they print a policy on a webpage like SSZ does) contract between subscriber and node operator. The CDR is NOT(!!!!!!) Usenet, even if we are distributed over several nodes. -- -- ____________________________________________________________________ Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night: God said, "Let Tesla be", and all was light. B.A. Behrend The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage@ssz.com www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087 -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- --------------------------------------------------------------------