Question about route on the DLS and built into previous Edition of Trainz

[whitburncolliery]

So, if an author states the license for "free distribution" then I guess it is still implicitly copyrighted, but he has relinquished the rights for protection under the copyright?

The author has just said you can distribute it for free. They still have all the rights to the item in question. Including removing the free distribution part. However if it is on the DLS, the author has given N3V a right in perpetuity to distribute the item. Which you can download and use as is.

 

[whitburncolliery]

If I paint a picture and post it on Facebook without declaring a copywrite, I would not be surprised to see it passed all around the internet....

That picture is copyright'ed to yourself as soon as it comes into being as a "work of art". The photograph of it you post to Facebook is also copyrighted to you too when you click the shutter. You have created 2 works of art and both are instantly in copyright when created.

You have given Facebook permission to show the photo to anyone they wish to when you created your FB account. It is clearly stated in their terms and conditions.

Now you own the copyright but that doesn't stop anyone doing anything to it. Such as posting it elsewhere. But that does mean that they have breached your copyright.

What you have as the copyright holder is the legal right to take them to court for breach of copyright if they will not remove the offending work.