[ANSWERED] style contest?

[drives fast]

I would be interested in seeing this "law" you quote because I have seen no such thing.

it is no different than a patent or a registration of a trademark.....if you don't do it on paper....it doesn't exist and anyone can take it....copyright it, patent it, or register it on paper and take it from you before you have the chance.

I have seen it time and time again.....if you don't have anything on paper....you have no claim to it.

you are correct....the terms of the contest do say that you would turn over all rights to the style by submitting it....but you would need to own rights to it in order to do such a thing and then vb.org would need to get it on paper or it is still fair game.

I like a good discussion...this is great.

anyway...bottom line....if it isn't on paper...you have no claim to it. Anybody could claim to have created it before you and claim that you stole it from them. This is why it has to be on paper....there is no dispute to that and is the whole reason that coptrights, patents and registering of trademarks exists....to prove that you are in fact the owner.

Should I check into whether jelsoft has registered the vbulletin name? Should I check into whether the vbulletin software is actually copyrighted? If it is not on paper...anyone can steal it and get it copyrighted or register the trademark vbulletin name and then they would own it on paper and nobody could do anything about it. As I said....a simple claim and neat little mark does not prove ownership.

In order to avoid anyone getting mad....I will say tht all of my comments are IMO because I am not trying to start a war.