"Bounce buffer" copyright [was Re: flash (or ide) storage for unibus 11?]

[Mouse]

>> Love that term, "bounce buffer" (I wrote a whole package to support
>> them in a packet switch I did) - I'm officially adopting it, right
>> now! :-)

> Hey - anything that anyone writes is automatically copyrighted.

I realize you...may have been less than entirely serious.  But what you
wrote could easily be taken seriously, especially by someone only
partially inside our culture.  So I'm going to be a minor killjoy here.

Yes, anything written now is automatically copyrighted in most
jursidctions.  But (a) the term "bounce buffer" is small enough and
obvious enough it probably cannot be copyrighted on its own (and is not
infringing when copied in isolation), (b) was quite possibly published
without copyright claim before automatic copyright and is thus in the
public domain now, and (c) is of uncertain authorship anyway.  So...

> So first you need permission to use that!

...you actually don't.

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