Date:	Thu, 25 Nov 1993 17:29:28 -1000
From:	twolinestu@aol.com
Message-Id: <9311252229.tn330971@aol.com>
Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Subject: Re: the octopus-plan and ideas protection.

Thanks Marty, and sorry about the mis-directed Mail; got my address book
cut-n'paste inverted.

Now that I've got the FAQ's and I apparently don't have the software to get
to the ftp.Hawaii.EDU in order to view the Octopus-Plan, is there anyone out
there who can find a way to make it available here?   If you have access to
ftp...and would be willing to snail mail to me, tel me via EMail @ TwoLineStu
and I'll send you my address and appropriate remuneration for your trouble
(no welching here (8-o  !)!

And I promise not to violate any copyrights!

Speaking of copyrights....

As you may have noticed, I am kind of new to the kite-world.  As a fresh
faced (but wrinkled business-wise) outside observer, I sense some real
idealism in these copyright "discussions."  It is really nice that MOST
everyone has this open-and-sharing trust-you, trust-me attitude.  It
certainly makes for a friendlier net and more entertaining reading.  But get
to the business reality folks....

If any of you are out there spending "100's" of hours designing and refineing
(sp) for the POSSIBILITY of marketing you had better keep the plans, etc. to
yourself.  First, your time is worth something, right?  I value my personal
and creative time at over $100 per hour (up from $12.95 in 1991!) and I don't
want to give it away.  Secondly, you might not care for the legal profession,
but there isn't anything or anyone better can help you make the right
decisions and to find ways to protect your valuable designs and decisions. 
There was a guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper many years
ago, only to have a major outomaker borrow the concept and reap mega-profits.
 While we are not talking about the same magnitude, the concept is the same. 


It's a great hobby, but also a growing (read:booming) business.  Sure, give
credit where credit is due; smile, keep your nose up, have fun, respect the
work of others, but get some GOOD legal advice, protect your creative genius
(and from what I have seen there is ALOT of genius out there).  The patent
and copywrite process is there to protect the truely unique contributions of
individuals.  It can ferret-out the copy cats, too.

And to you incredible designers who don't mind sharing your creative wealth
with us lower life forms, thanks so much... just tell us up front when it's
okay to "copy" or borrow.  In return, I promise to enjoy and give you all the
credit you want!

Now let's pledge to finish this conversation by December 1, 1993 and get back
to the fun stuff.  

P.S. I am trying to make my own kites, but when a great "commercial" one hits
the market, I'll be the first in line to buy it.  That's the best way to say
"thank you" to the creators.  And as long as they keep the quality high, the
hype -moderate-, and the price reasonable, I'll keep on being the good
consumer.

(no, I am not an attorney!)

TwoLineStu
Wisconsin, USA
"Come Smell Our Dairy-Aire"


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