NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/rec/aviation/17582

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-29 | 1.7 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Andrew Koenig)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation,rec.aviation.misc
Subject: Re: One of my "heard on the air" postings in IFR unattributed
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 29 Dec 92 15:28:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: alice.24504
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail] ()
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill NJ
Lines: 23

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Phil Fernandez) writes:

> Also, ATC conversations take place on an open, "party-line"
> communication channel, which may be freely monitored by anyone owning
> a $19.95 receiver.

There's an interesting point here.  Some radio channels, particularly
(I think) the ham bands, carry with them an FCC regulation prohibiting
people from divulging what they hear over those channels.  Thus, though
it is legal to own and use a ham receiver, without any license, my
understanding is that it violates FCC regulations to tell anyone else
what you hear on the ham bands.

If so, it adds an interesting wrinkle to the "heard on the air" idea.
If you really did hear it, either it's public domain or you weren't allowed
to repeat it at all; in either case you don't have much claim against IFR
Magazine for publishing it.

On the other hand, if you didn't really hear it, and are instead reporting
it as a work of fiction, then the copyright question becomes much more real.
--
                --Andrew Koenig
                  [e-mail]