[ RadSafe ] US Government Charging for Radiation Safety Software

[John Jacobus]

Sounds a bit sarcastic.  There comment holds for other
government agencies as we for FDA and had to also pay
for a computer code.

--- John_Sukosky at dom.com wrote:

> Wes,
> 
> Last month, I asked ORNL that very same question. 
> Here the
> response I received:
> 
> "As for the fee, RSICC does not and has never
> received any funding
> from utilities to cover requests from utilities. 
> Should utilities
> decide to send our Center funding, we would gladly
> accept it.
> Until that happens, a cost recovery fee must be
> assessed for the
> codes we distribute."
> 
> John M. Sukosky, CHP
> Dominion
> Surry Power Station
> (757)-365-2594 (Tieline: 8-798-2594)
> 
> 
> 
>                                                     
>                   
>                       "Wesley"                      
>                   
>                       <wesvanpelt at att.n        To:  
>     "'RADSAFE'" <radsafe at radlab.nl>
>                       et>                      cc:  
>     "'Wesley R. Van Pelt'" <wesvanpelt at att.net>
>                       Sent by:                
> Subject:  [ RadSafe ] US Government Charging for
> Radiation Safety Software
>                       radsafe-bounces at r             
>                   
>                       adlab.nl                      
>                   
>                                                     
>                   
>                                                     
>                   
>                       02/13/2005 08:05              
>                   
>                       PM                            
>                   
>                       Please respond to             
>                   
>                       WesVanPelt                    
>                   
>                                                     
>                   
>                                                     
>                   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Fellow Radsafers,
> 
> 
> 
> Some days ago I asked you if Varskin 3 is available
> on the internet. This
> is
> a terrific computer program written by James Durham
> that calculates beta
> skin dose from any beta radionuclide deposited on or
> near the skin.
> 
> 
> 
> Several of you kind folks pointed me in a few
> directions. But the bottom
> line seems to be that, unless it is for research or
> educational use only,
> one must pay $300 to RSICC at ORNL (Oak Ridge
> National Lab) for the Varskin
> 3 software.
> 
> 
> 
> I believe that Varskin 3 was developed using US
> taxpayer funds. (Someone
> correct me if I am wrong.) This means that the US
> government is charging us
> TWICE for the privileged of using this software.
> 
> 
> 
> I looked up some copyright information and found
> this from the US Code (17
> USC 105):
> 
> 
> 
> §105. Subject matter of copyright: United States
> Government works
> 
> Copyright protection under this title is not
> available for any work of the
> United States Government, but the United States
> Government is not precluded
> from receiving and holding copyrights transferred to
> it by assignment,
> bequest, or otherwise.
> 
> 
> 
> I wonder if it is legal for RSICC, a government
> entity, to charge for the
> software it distributes. I wonder if the government
> claims to hold the
> copyright for this software. If the $300 is just a
> copying fee, then anyone
> receiving the software should be able to freely
> distribute it.
> 
> 
> 
> Any enlightened comments will be appreciated.
> 
> 
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Wes
> 
> Wesley R. Van Pelt, PhD, CIH, CHP
> 
> Wesley R. Van Pelt Associates, Inc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> You are currently subscribed to the radsafe mailing
> list
> radsafe at radlab.nl
> 
> For information on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and
> other settings visit:
> http://radlab.nl/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/radsafe
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> You are currently subscribed to the radsafe mailing
> list
> radsafe at radlab.nl
> 
> For information on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and
> other settings visit:
> http://radlab.nl/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/radsafe
> 


=====
+++++++++++++++++++
"Baltimore is actually a very safe city if you are not involved in the drug trade."
DR. PETER BEILENSON, the city's health commissioner.

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com


		
__________________________________ 
Do you Yahoo!? 
Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. 
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail