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Subject:Re: Printing screens, ethical Q&A From:"Wilcox, John (WWC, Contractor)" <wilcoxj -at- WDNI -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 19 Jun 1998 14:15:45 -0700
> ----------
> From: Lisa Comeau [mailto:COMEAUL -at- CSA -dot- CA]
>
> > I may be (and probably am) wrong, but Windows is copyrighted
> > software, and it's illegal to copy the software, so why
> > wouldn't it be illegal to copy images of the software?
>
It's the code that's copyrighted, not the image of what the compiled
code looks like -- there's nothing secret about what Windows looks like.
You can take all the pictures you want, just like you can of your car,
boat, etc.
> > Or am I missing some critical piece of documentation that
> > says "Hey! You're allowed to use screen captures *Because*
> > you're writing manuals promoting the use of our software" ?
>
I occasionally have, like Steve Taylor, included directions for how to
do something in Windows in my documents, such as how to set the default
printer or how to find a certain file. I can't imagine why Microsoft
would care about us explaining such things, since we might even be
saving them a support call or two.
Regards,
John Wilcox, Documentation Specialist
Timberlands Information Services
Federal Way, Washington USA
mailto: wilcoxj -at- wdni -dot- com
(I don't speak for Weyerhaeuser, and they return the favor.)
