Copyright really
 

Ok... just fyi.. as per the Carbonite homepage the copyright was good thru 2011. They have not been updating this addon only putting bandaids on it. And Honestly I doubt they ever put in for a Copyright on this anyways seeing that U.S. Copyright fees are outrageous. If you want to continue to give money to someone for doing nothing go ahead. I think you would be off giving it to a charity vise getting ripped off by someone that is just tanking your money and running.

This was a great addon prior to blizzard tell them they can't charge a fee for this. And they have done much of nothing for a long time... Look at the home page.. Happy new year.. Bandaid given in Map.. And wait no DMF map...

Keep up with the fan updates because the authors haven't even given a hint in the forums about if they are still or around.

And the hearsay a dev said something that didn't come from the dev in the forum is just a troll comment IMO.

you do know that you no longer have to pay for a copyright fee, right? that was done away with decades ago, and copyrights are now inherent upon creation.

Guess you haven't read copyright law have you?

Could you please quote the relevant law, and give the sections for the law that you are quoting.

If what has been posted before is incorrect, as far as a released work being protected under copyright law as an "intellectual property" by the author(s) and not having to actually be registered with the copyright office, I'm quite sure that EVERYONE would be ....interested.... in seeing the actual law that says this.

They actually own the copyright without paying anything. However if they want to sue someone based on copyright they have to register with the Copyright office.
This is per the US Copyright Office's FAQ
Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”

Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?
Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within 5 years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration” and Circular 38b, Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), on non-U.S. works.

Also worth noting that it is only $35 to register for a copyright online.

Yeah. Truly outrageous fee's.

I was looking more at this:
Which is not an actual law, but can be read, in its' entirety, here: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf

It's a link to a circular on the U.S. Copyright Office website.

I actually tried reading through the law, but apparently "legalese" and I reside in different dimensions.:o Hence, asking for the relevant parts of the law.

Doesn't copyright exist until 50 years after the creator's death? It does for books, at least. That is why Ian Fleming's Casino Royale (1954) cannot be published by just anyone. Ian Fleming Publications owns that book's copyright until 2015, which is 50 years after Ian Fleming passed away.

On the other hand, everyone can publish Lord of the Rings, because Tolkien died longer ago.

Do digital creations not follow this same rule?

As a follow up post, the copyright for Carbonite, if it follows the same rule above, will remain with Carboniteaddon until 50 years after the death of its last creator. However, the creators retain the option to transfer ownership to another author to maintain, but that new author does not also gain copyright.

An example of this is found in both the James Bond and Jason Bourne novels. Several continuation authors have written books, but they do not suddenly own the copyrights for "James Bond" or "Jason Bourne". They do own the copyrights for their individual books, and must use the phrase "characters and settings used with permission."

not sure where you got 2011 but your wrong -
CARBONITE
Copyright 2007-2012 Carbon Based Creations, LLC
CARBONITE(tm) is a registered trademark of Carbon Based Creations, LLC.

says that in CarboniteLiscenceAgreement.txt found in the Carbonite addon folder

For the record, Ian Flemming died in 1964, J. R. R. Tolkien died in 1973.

the 50 years is flexible thanks to money... it was 10, then 25, then 50 thanks to Disney scared of mickey going public domain from it expiring.

Things have changed...
 

Straight from the copyright.gov website...(OMG, am i in trouble, lol...)

How long does a copyright last?

The term of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first. For works first published prior to 1978, the term will vary depending on several factors. To determine the length of copyright protection for a particular work, consult chapter 3 of the Copyright Act (title 17 of the United States Code). More information on the term of copyright can be found in Circular 15a, Duration of Copyright, and Circular 1, Copyright Basics.

As we have said before, when we are no longer updating Carbonite, we will let it be known. Barring Haavok and I keeling over in the same week or an EMP / solar flare taking out the power grid, you should know.

I don't know any person or small company that files for a copyright. You just slap a notice on whatever. The date is the year(s) the copyright starts, not when it ends and they do last a long time.

You have not been "updating" carbonite in years, you put a bandage on it just so that it somewhat functions, while leaving hundreds of other bugs. Then you dissappear until weeks after the next carbonite complete-breaking patch comes out.

Oops, sorry. You are correct. I goofed. :o

For software, whether you are changing the name of one variable or rewriting the entire code, that is updating, and thus renews any copyright. The number of bugs before or after are irrelevant. For that matter, so is the author's visibility.

Did I say anything about copyright? Did you also not notice the quotes around updating? It means that what the authors, and apparantly you call updating, is a half asses bandage on a gaping wound.

This thread is about copyright.

Let me ask you a question... Do you remember Microsoft ME (Millennium edition) or Vista? Those all had "updates" - a huge company with more resources than just about any other. Yet, what they did for those two primary OS's - were bandages on a gaping wound. The fact that Carbonite doesn't get funding to support them continually updating and tweaking it makes perfect sense to me as to why they would band aid it up until such a time as there is no more want for it because someone else has created something better.

A software update, by definition, is changing the code to work better or add in a feature. Even if it's just to remove messages - those are updates. If you feel you need to complain about the lack of updates, no one here is stopping you from creating a new add on yourself, distributing it to the general public, and updating it to each and every persons whim. I would love to see the people who are complaining about Carbonite attempt to put something out there for the public and jump through all the hoops they demand and still be happy and willing to provide such a work. Walk a mile in the other persons shoes...

djGrrr, yes I noted the sarcastic quotes. That does not change that your view of legal copyright is in error.
What I call updating has a definition. Coincidentally, updating a book, software, database, etc also renews copyright. Which was my point, with no sarcasm at all needed or required.