

Iojs removes all copyright headers from src files - furityloops
https://github.com/iojs/io.js/commit/3e1b1dd4a9ac048105a4dc4cd81578e26d39a1fc

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tylermauthe
I'd be curious if anyone has any thoughts on the legal implications of this?
Is the commit comment accurate?

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pwg
A relevant quote from this pdf:
[http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ03.pdf](http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ03.pdf)

"Furthermore, in the event that a work is infringed, if the work carries a
proper notice, the court will not give any weight to a defendant's use of an
innocent infringement defense--that is, to a claim that the defendant did not
realize that the work was protected. An innocent infringement defense can
result in a reduction in damages that the copyright owner would otherwise
receive."

As each file is likely considered a separate "work" by the courts, removing
all the copyright notice is not a good idea.

What they should do is put the lengthy license text in a license file, and
then in each work (file) put a two line notice, line one claiming copyright,
line two referring to the license file in the distribution package.

Note that the above .pdf also describes "collective works". It is unclear
whether a court would consider a tar file a "collective work" to invoke the
single notice for collective works option.

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aceperry
LOL, that's what they needed at my last company.

