[Coco] Re: Regarding Copyright and the Rainbow Magazine

[farna at att.net]

There are other issues as to why Lonnie needs to get a fee for reproducing the magazines, mostly copyright issues with things he printed from others, and to keep the copyrights intact. If he gives permission for anything to be reprinted freely or what could be argued as a token sum he basicly gives up all rights -- gives it to public domain. I would (and DID) do just that once the product has run it's life. It isn't likely that there will ever be enough of a resrugence of the CoCo to make the magazine worth anything. In a way I gave up more when I gave the rights to "Tandy's Little Wonder" to the public domain, and the master set to Glenside. A concise book on the history and care of the CoCo should be worth more as much as a collection of articles that only give part of the info. My book has valuable items such as schematics and basic repair instructions -- the only thing better would be the service manual itself, if you have the electronics knowledge to understand it. I hope someone gets permission from Glenside to put it up on the Internet one day. 

I wouldn't worry much about someone making an index, just don't copy the Rainbow index or format. But if it means Lonnie might have second thoughts about allowing the archive/sell project, I don't think it should be persued. You have to think more about the benefit to the CoCo community than anything else. It would be more beneficial to have an inexpensive source of the Rainbow than not. If you don't want to support the project because you disagree for whatever reason, then don't. But don't ruin it for the rest. 

It's best to just leave Mr. Falk alone and let the head person be the sole contact. While I agree, we (I subscribed for at least a couple years) gave as much or more to Mr. Falk by making Rainbow the premier CoCo magazine as he gave back, it's his choice. If he could maintain ownership of copyright without question he may have given consent to copy without fees -- who knows? 

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Independent 
Magazine" (AIM)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AIM.html
(free download available!)