Re: [Bug-cssc] Fwd: GNU CSSC 1.3.1 is released

[James Youngman]

On Thu, May 26, 2011 at 4:29 PM, Joerg Schilling
<address@hidden> wrote:
> I am sorry, but I cannot do something that is forbidden by law. "copyright
> assignment" is forbidden by law in Europe.

You're mistaken.  This is not the case.

Copyrights are in fact a collection of rights which differ somewhat in
various jurisdictions (for example in some countries there is no moral
right for computer software).   However, it is reasonable to discuss
this in the context of the Berne convention (since only around 20
countries are not signatories).   Somewhat loosely the rights can be
termed economic rights or moral rights (see the text of the Berne
convention, specificially this section:
http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/trtdocs_wo001.html#P123_20726).
 Economic rights can be transferred, but moral rights cannot.
However, it is not illegal to transfer a moral right, it is merely
ineffective.   Agreements to transfer moral rights simply have no
effect.   Transfer of copyright rights is not forbidden.

James.