Re: how much is too much?

[Alexander Terekhov]

Isaac wrote:
[...]
> > My point is that linking is irrelevant (the copyright law, not GNU
> > copyleft silliness, doesn't establish exclusive right to link). As
> > for compiling, installing, and loading/executing, I agree (you
> > don't need any license for that thanks to 17 USC 117).
> 
> In the US at least, linking is not irrelevant because linking may create
> RAM copies.  

You mean RAM copying done by compiler and static linker (in 
addition to loading at execution time)? That falls under 
"compiling, installing" above. Essentially, it's the same 
thing as copying the DLL or EXE into some (compressed) folder 
on your disk. 

Apart from that, do you seriously believe that you're violating 
the law every time you defragment discs, scan for viruses, and 
do other things like that all involving creation of RAM copies
of other digital stuff apart from computer programs (music, 
pics, etc.) because it doesn't fall under 17 USC 117?

regards,
alexander.