Re: Cobol 85 Standard

That is a VERY sore point in my life.  There was a lot of discussion about t
his
in the past.  I can't give legal advice (and certainly not here) but you COU
LD
ask INCITS, but my best guess is that they would just tell you that as it is
 not
a current standard, they won't answer.

--
Bill Klein
wmklein <at> ix.netcom.com
"tim" <TimJ@internet.com> wrote in message
news:13u3d702beqth38@corp.supernews.com...
> On Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:11:27 +0000, William M. Klein wrote:
> 
>
> The document contradicts itself on this point. On one page it says it may
> be freely copied in part or in full:
>
> "ACKNOWLEDGMENT
>
> Any organization interested in reproducing the COBOL standard and
> specifications in whole or in part, using ideas from this docu- ment as
> the basis for an instruction manual OI for any other purpose, is free to
> do so. However, all such organizations are requested to reproduce the
> following acknowledgment paragraphs in their entirety as part of the
> preface to any such publication (any organiza- tion using a short
> passagefrom this document, such as in a book review, is requested to
> mention "COBOL" in acknowledgment of the source, but need not quote the
> acknowledgment):
>
> COBOL is an industry language and is not the property of any company OI
> group of companies, or of any organization or group of organizations. No
> warranty, expressed or implied, is made by any contributor or by the
> CODASYL COBOL Committee as to the accuracy and functioning of
> the programming system and language. Moreover, no responsibility is assume
d
> by any contributor, or by the committee, in connection therewith. The
> authors and copyright holders of the copyrighted materials used herein
> FLOW-MATIC (trademark of Sperry Rand Corporation), Programming for the
> UNIVAC (R) I and II, Data Automation Systems copyrighted 1958,1959, by
> Sperry Rand Corporation; IBM Commercial Translater Form No F 28-8013,
> copy-righted 1959 by IBM; FACT, DSI 27A5260-2760, copyrighted 1960 by
> Minneapolis-Honeywell have specifically authorized the use of this materia
l
> in whole or in part, in the COBOL specifications. Such authorization ex-
> tends to the reproduction and use of COBOL specifications in programming
> manuals or similar publications."
>
> The next page has the usual copyright notice. Given the draconian penaltie
s
> for copyright violations I am tending to err on the safe side.
>
> "Copyright ©1985 by Information Technology Industry Council (ITI)
> All rights reserved.
> No part of this publication may be reproduced in any
> form, in an electronic retrieval system or otherwise,
> without prior written permission of ITI, 1250 Eye Street NW,
> Washington, DC 20005."
>
> Is there any way to get some official clarification of this point?
>
> Tim