[H-GEN] Fwd: [research] Request for expert witness

[Paul Gearon]

Hi everyone,

I just got this email through ITEE at UQ.  There's a big difference  
between Java programming and Javascript web programming, but the  
issue seems worth following all the same.

Given that ITEE is about research and teaching, rather than  
professional programming, I thought that HUMBUG might be a better  
forum for this question.

Regards.
Paul Gearon

Begin forwarded message:

> From: David Carrington <davec at itee.uq.edu.au>
> Date: June 3, 2007 6:27:40 PM CDT
> To: acdemic at itee.uq.edu.au, research at itee.uq.edu.au
> Subject: [research] Request for expert witness
>
> All,
>
> I have been contacted by John Swinson, a partner in the law firm  
> Mallesons Stephen Jaques in Brisbane who writes:
>
>> I have a client, a young software guy, who has been sued by his
>> former employer (a graphics design company) claiming that my client
>> has copied its software that he built when he worked there.  The
>> issue is that he copied two small JavaScript files - which when the
>> original software was developed, were probably copied from elsewhere.
>> The files are used in a content management system.
>> I am looking for a witness who can testify at trial in Brisbane in  
>> July as to the following points:
>> 1.      How programs are written today.
> > 2.      How programmers use open source and developer materials to
> > write programs.
> > 3.      Whether the 2 JavaScript files are a substantial part of
> > the program.
>> 4.      Whether the 2 JavaScript files are a program in their own
>> right.
> > 5.      Whether there is anything unique about the content
>> management system in issue.
>> Also, the Java community may be interested in this case.  The  
>> person suing is being really ridiculous, but if he wins, it will  
>> be bad
>> for programmers.  Is there some way we can drum up moral support for
>> my client in the Java community?
>
> I suggested that I was not the right person to be an expert witness  
> because I am not a professional programmer, although I am involved  
> in educating them. This means that these days I do not program  
> regularly, and I have not written Javascript programs.
>
> If you are interested, you can contact John by phone: 3244 8050 or
> e-mail: john.swinson at mallesons.com
>
> Thanks
> 	Davec
>