[Rhodes22-list] Question for Captain Effros & Captain Crawford

[FCrawford0707 at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/11/2006 6:13:55 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
ekroposki at charter.net writes:

Bill  & Frome,
You are our resident experts on  intellectual property.  Maybe we can
illicit some comment about some  recent questions on this forum.
Would you say the  design of the mast hoist system is Stan's
intellectual property?  That  if someone who has not purchased the unit
either from Stan or someone who  did get it from Stan (That is it came with a
used boat), was to copy the  design and make it base on the information
received on thsi forum would be  stealing?
Stan gives everyone an owners manual  who purchases a boat from him. 
If someone buys a used boat without  inclusion of the manual and copies one
off the list, shouldn't they send  Stan a reasonable amount for the manual,
let us say $100.00?
In addition, Stan has requested a commission on boats  bought and sold
on this list.  Is a small stipend appropriate for the  agency making this
forum available?  What about when someone asks for  and gets specific
information over this list, the recipient must send  Michael Meltzer 5% of
the value of the information received?   

Ed K
Greenville, SC, USA

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Ed - I don't pretend to know anything much about intellectual property -  
(I'm pretty good with the tangible stuff that you build things on).  For  what 
they are worth, my thoughts on your questions are :
    -the mast system would need to be protected by a  patent to entitle Stan 
to license it's use by others - otherwise, it's  copyable;
    -similarly the manual is not (to my knowledge)  copyrighted, so again 
unprotected from those who may choose to copy it, except  if someone chooses to 
provide a voluntary contribution (I think, in fact, that  that is how Herb 
Hilgenberg manages to receive some funding for his invaluable  weather consulting)
    -Stan's expertise has a great deal of value - I  submit that he should be 
paid consulting fees for same.   Abe L said  it (something like) his time and 
advice were his stock in trade.
    Frone Crawford
    s/v Sunday Morning