Last time I looked there was a free version of WindowBlinds.

Where? I'm sure Stardock would be interested in the location of such a windowblind program. Shareware is not free.

Chas, you can copyright a format. I've just finished months of litigation on that issue.  You can copyright it. However, it's up to the copyright holder to decide whether to enforce their rights or not.  Clearly, MS has chosen not to enforce their rights with regards to .msstyles.  However, just as WinCustomize doesn't allow rips, even if they are merely "derivatives", we won't allow msstyles here unless MS gives us the okay.

I agree with you, and you should be able to copyright them. I was just pointing out how the doc format is much different than IPtheme or msstyles compiled format. Certain basis formats are neccessary for fair competition(doc,bmp). This is all I am saying. Stealing someones compiled format is like stealing their program.

I think I agree there.  There are formats within formats.

.iptheme, for instance, is organized by a set of rules described as the INI format.  We copyright the keywords and such in .iptheme as well as each .iptheme file generated by IconPackager (the icon designer owns their icons of course).

Well, as I said, I never knew file formats could be copyrighted. But, I will assume that people here know more than I do, and will drop the issue.

Most of this is waaaaay over my head...but I have a question and please don't laugh at how stupid it may sound to you...but some of us didn't really get a chance to even HAVE a computer most of our lives...much less understand the legal complexities of all the stuff that makes it run....

If I take a picture with a digital camera that I bought...play with it with the software program that came with the recharging dock....then save it and mess around with the picture a little more in paint....

does that mean kodak software owns my picture, microsoft owns my picture or do I own my picture...

???

...and if I copy it onto a floppy and edit it with the printer software on another computer that I have....does the printer software company own the picture....and if I print it out does the ink company own the picture...or the paper company?

??? I'm more confused by the minute.

You own your picture, of course. Kodak et al only own the technology that you used to make your image.

Well, look at it this wasy, Mrs. Footsie. If a guitar player writes a song, does that mean that the guitar company who made the guitar owns his song, or the fingerpick company, or maybe Radio Shack since maybe he recorded the song on one of their recorders. I know its rare when a artist even owns the rights to his song because of contracts these days. But, that is another matter and quite heated so, I'll steer clear of that one.

Mrs _footsie_

if you really want to go "hmmmmmm" read up on patten law

now that is rather wild and there are so many different directions one can take to either back up rights to own rights or to circumvent someone else's owned rights...

read up on patten law

I'll keep my hair, thank you.

ChasUGC and IPlural

Ok ok ok they're mine muahahahaha all mine I tell you ar ar



was being a little fretty wasn't I?

No I don't copy or use anybody else's photos pictures or poetry.

They're all products of me, my little camera, my little 'puter and my demented mind

what a woild what a woild

"No, sir I didn't see you playing with your dolls again, sir"

"Don't ever show that part again!!!!!"

"We've been jammed!"

"That's all I need....a Druish princess!"

omg roflmao