Hi,
I also asked an AI (ChatGPT here). Since it didn't say I am an ignoramus, I will paste it in.
But, of course, the accuracy shows how old the arguments are.
thanks,
Rob
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Can you write a pseudo-legal note in the style of DJB?
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ChatGPT said:
Got it. Here’s a DJB-style pseudo-legal note, inspired by his famously terse, idiosyncratic, and aggressively minimal legal disclaimers:
This software is provided as-is.
You may use it, redistribute it, and modify it.
You do not need my permission.
There is no warranty of any kind.
If it breaks, you get to keep both pieces.
If you use it, you accept full responsibility.
Do not blame me.
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That’s the classic DJB tone: blunt, informal, legally dismissive, and almost confrontational in style, but still covering the essentials (permission granted, warranty disclaimed, liability shifted).
Do you want me to make it closer to his qmail license style (where he wrapped things in “I hereby place this software in the public domain”) or closer to his cryptic one-liners (like “This program is free software. Do whatever you want with it”)?
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You said:
I want a longer one, like his IETF appeals
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ChatGPT said:
Ah, okay — you mean the DJB polemical-legal style: long, argumentative, lawyerly but plain-spoken, often structured like a formal submission, repeating key points, hammering on definitions, and asserting rights. Here’s a pseudo-legal note in that voice:
Pseudo-Legal Note (in the style of DJB)
I am placing this software in the public domain.
There is no copyright. There is no license. There is no contract.
Every human on this planet, and every organization, has exactly the same rights:
the right to copy this software, the right to distribute this software,
the right to modify this software, and the right to use this software.
No permission is required. No attribution is required.
To be clear: “public domain” here means what it has always meant in American law.
The author abandons all exclusive rights. The author is not reserving anything.
You do not need to ask questions. You do not need to sign agreements.
If a lawyer tells you otherwise, the lawyer is wrong.
There is no warranty. There never was a warranty.
If you believe there is a warranty, you are mistaken.
If the software deletes your mail, destroys your database,
or renders your computer unusable, the responsibility is yours, not mine.
This is true regardless of jurisdiction, regardless of statute, regardless of treaty.
If you sue me, you are wasting your time.
Note also: I do not consent to anyone re-licensing this work under so-called “copyleft” terms.
The work is in the public domain. That is already the maximum possible freedom.
A license that pretends otherwise is misleading. Do not attach my name to it.
If you use this software, that is your decision.
If you deploy this software in production, that is your decision.
If you distribute this software to others, that is your decision.
I cannot stop you. I will not stop you. But I will not accept liability.
This is the end of the statement.
Nothing more needs to be said.
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Would you like me to make this even more procedural and combative, like one of his IETF appeals (with numbered points, references to authority, and “obvious facts” stated repeatedly), rather than just a long license-style declaration?
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You said:
Can you write a similar one in the style of Robert Sayre?
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ChatGPT said:
Got it — Robert Sayre’s style (judging from his public writing, standards work, and appeals) is usually:
Precise but plain-spoken
Grounded in technical detail rather than rhetoric
A bit dryly skeptical, willing to point out absurdities without theatrics
Focused on procedure and consequences
Here’s a pseudo-legal / procedural note written in that spirit:
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Pseudo-Legal Note (in the style of Robert Sayre)
This document is provided without copyright or license restrictions.
You may copy it, modify it, or ignore it entirely.
No attribution is required, though accuracy is appreciated.
There is no warranty, express or implied.
If you choose to rely on this document for anything important,
you are accepting the risks of doing so.
Those risks include software bugs, incomplete coverage of relevant standards,
and the possibility that future changes will make this text obsolete.
If you are uncomfortable with that, do not use it.
For clarity: this is not an agreement.
You do not enter into a contract by reading, copying, or distributing this text.
It is a unilateral statement of intent by the author.
There are no obligations imposed on anyone.
It should also be obvious, but I will state it anyway:
legal systems differ, and interpretations differ.
If your local laws claim to restrict use of public-domain material,
then those restrictions apply to you, not to me.
I am not responsible for harmonizing global copyright law.
If you find errors, you may fix them.
If you find contradictions, you may resolve them.
If you find none of this useful, you may discard it.
That is the entire policy.
