The Volokh Conspiracy
[Eugene Volokh, October 12, 2007 at 7:06pm] Trackbacks
Is It Easier To Get Forgiveness than Permission?

Maybe sometimes, but not when it comes to using copyrighted works that are owned by two or more people. You can get a nonexclusive license up front from just one of them, without the others' permission. But once you infringe you can't get a retroactive license from just one -- you'd have to get forgiven by all of them.

So held the Second Circuit last Friday, in Davis v. Blige. On the other hand, forgiveness for having invented COBOL should be very hard to get.

scooby (mail):
I'm sure COBOL as it was invented was a nice, clean, simple language. You can't blame years of "evolution" on the inventor. Now, the whole C hoax, that's something to be annoyed about.
10.12.2007 10:44pm
Fub:
On the other hand, forgiveness for having invented COBOL should be very hard to get.
Heh.

From an old Burroughs Algol-head to a young HP SPL-head, a vaguely recalled factoid:

IIRC the the 1970s Burroughs mid-sized machines (B2000 et seq as I recall) featured COBOL's own BCD arithmetic native in hardware, including addressing; and MCP (the OS) and compilers written in, you guessed it, COBOL.

Some forgiveness!
10.12.2007 11:17pm
neurodoc:
I think it is usually, "it is easier to ask forgiveness, then get permission." Pretty close to "easier to get forgiveness than permission," but maybe the cynicism clearer, underscoring the implicit advice to do it first, then ask forgiveness or negotiate after it is a fait accompli.
10.13.2007 12:41am
Oren (mail):
Seems reasonable, all in all.
10.13.2007 12:49am
Mary Katherine Day-Petrano (mail):
"I think it is usually, 'it is easier to ask forgiveness, then get permission.' Pretty close to 'easier to get forgiveness than permission,' but maybe the cynicism clearer, underscoring the implicit advice to do it first, then ask forgiveness or negotiate after it is a fait accompli."

I suppose that depends on whom you are asking.

I'm just sayin ...
10.13.2007 3:09pm
SteveDK:
Emo Phillips:

When I was a kid, I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord, in his wisdom, didn't work that way. So I just stole one and asked him to forgive me.
10.13.2007 5:39pm
Another Kevin:
I once heard Adm. Hopper state it as, "It is more blessed to beg forgiveness than to ask permission."
10.14.2007 7:58pm
hugh:
Well, don't mess around with the Lords of Cobol (Kobol) or you will have a mess of Cylons coming after you.
10.14.2007 11:28pm
Mary Katherine Day-Petrano (mail):
h, what are "the Lords of Cobol (Kobol)" and why are they pursued by (and what are) "a mess of Cylons?"
10.14.2007 11:42pm
danielsn:
http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page
10.15.2007 12:15am
danielsn:
Or, to sum up. what are a mess of cylons? PURE AWESOME.
10.15.2007 12:15am
Gary McGath (www):
COBOL was an excellent language for its time, and its inventor, Grace Hopper, was one of the great pioneers of computing. It's not her fault that it's hung on so long after its time passed.
10.15.2007 3:03pm

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