libstdc++-assign.txt [plain text]
The way to assign copyright to the Free Software Foundation is to sign
an assignment contract. This is what legally makes the Free Software
Foundation the copyright holder so that we can register the copyright
on the new version. I'm assuming that you wrote these changes
yourself; if other people wrote parts, we may need papers from them.
If you are employed to do programming (even at a university), or have
made an agreement with your employer or school saying it owns programs
you write, then you and we need a signed piece of paper from your
employer disclaiming rights to the program.
The disclaimer should be signed by a vice president or general manager
of the company. If you can't get at them, anyone else authorized to
license software produced there will do. Here is a sample wording:
Digital Stimulation Corporation hereby disclaims all copyright interest
in the changes and enhancements made by Hugh Heffner to the program
"libstdc++", also including any future revisions of these changes and
enhancements.
Digital Stimulation Corporation affirms that it has no other
intellectual property interest that would undermine this release, or
the use of the Program, and will do nothing to undermine it in the
future.
<signature of Ty Coon>, 1 April 1987
Ty Coon, President of Vice, Digital Stimulation Corp.
(If your employer says they do have an intellectual property claim
that could conflict with the use of the program, then please put me in
touch with a suitable representative of the company, so that we can
negotiate what to do about it.)
IMPORTANT: When you talk to your employer, *no matter what
instructions they have given you*, don't fail to show them the sample
disclaimer above, or a disclaimer with the details filled in for your
specific case. Companies are usually willing to sign a disclaimer
without any fuss. If you make your request less specific, you may
open Pandora's box and cause a long and unnecessary delay.
Below is the assignment contract that we usually use. You need
to print it out, sign it, and snail it to:
Richard Stallman
545 Tech Sq rm 425
Cambridge, MA 02139
USA
Please try to print the whole first page below on a single piece of
paper. If it doesn't fit on one printed page, put it on two sides of
a single piece of paper.
Don't forget to put down the date when you sign! Spell out the month
name--don't use a number for the month. Dates using a number for the
month are ambiguous; 2/8/95 means one thing in the US and another in
Europe.
Snail a copy of the employer's disclaimer as well.
Please send me email about what you decide to do. If you have any
questions, or would like something to be changed, ask bkoz@gnu.org via
email.
ASSIGNMENT
For good and valuable consideration, receipt of which I
acknowledge, I, [your name here], hereby transfer to the Free Software
Foundation, Inc. (the "Foundation") my entire right, title, and
interest (including all rights under copyright) in my changes and
enhancements to the libstdc++ library, subject to the conditions
below. These changes and enhancements are herein called the "Work".
The work hereby assigned shall also include any future revisions of
these changes and enhancements hereafter made by me.
Upon thirty days' prior written notice, the "Foundation" agrees to
grant me non-exclusive rights to use the Work (i.e. my changes and
enhancements, not the program which I enhanced) as I see fit; (and
the "Foundation"'s rights shall otherwise continue unchanged).
I hereby agree that if I have or acquire hereafter any patent or
interface copyright or other intellectual property interest dominating
the program enhanced by the Work (or use of that program), such
dominating interest will not be used to undermine the effect of this
assignment, i.e. the "Foundation" and the general public will be
licensed to use, in that program and its derivative works, without
royalty or limitation, the subject matter of the dominating interest.
This license provision will be binding on my heirs, assignees, or
other successors to the dominating interest, as well as on me.
I hereby represent and warrant that I am the sole copyright holder
for the Work and that I have the right and power to enter into this
contract. I hereby indemnify and hold harmless the "Foundation", its
officers, employees, and agents against any and all claims, actions or
damages (including attorney's reasonable fees) asserted by or paid to
any party on account of a breach or alleged breach of the foregoing
warranty. I make no other express or implied warranty (including
without limitation, in this disclaimer of warranty, any warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE).
Agreed: [signature] Date [Write the month with LETTERS]:
For the "Foundation",
Richard Stallman, head dude in charge
Please do not delete the control-l character before this line.
Please print this as a separate page.
Please email a copy of the information on this page to
fsf-records@gnu.ai.mit.edu, and cc bkoz@gnu.org, if you can, so that
our clerk doesn't have to type it in. Use your full name as the
subject line.
[For the copyright registration, what country are you a citizen of?
What year were you born?]
[Please write your email address here.]
[Please write your snail address here, so we can snail a copy back to you.]
[Which files have you changed so far, and which new files have you written
so far?]
[Which Belgian comic book character is better, Tintin or Asterix, and why?]