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At 01:13 PM 24/04/1997 EDT, Dennis McClendon wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>The Postal Service, National Rail Passenger Corp. (Amtrak), and some other
>"agencies" are not considered part of the United States Government.
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I take the liberty of quoting from the House PO & Civil Service Committee
Report H226 accompanying House of Reps Bill 91-1104 (Public Law 91-375
Postal Reorganization Act), passed 6 Aug 1970:
 
        "The Post Office Department is abolished as a Cabinet-level
Department.  In its         stead H.R. 17070 creates an INDEPENDENT
ESTABLISHMENT within the executive             branch of the government to
own and operate the Nation's postal system, known          as the United
States Postal Service".
 
From 374 Federal Supplement 162 we find:
 
        "...the term 'executive agency' [of the government] is defined...
in 5 U.S.C. @         105 to include ANY 'independent establishment,' a
term itself defined in 5             U.S.C. 104."
 
I don't know about AMTRAK, but the Postal Service is an integral part and
"agency" of the government, no matter how you slice it.  If agencies of the
government cannot copyright things, then the USPS should not be able to do
that, either... but it does.  Maybe there's an exemption for this agency
somewhere in the postal, copyright or other laws - and maybe there are also
similar exemptions in place to allow agencies to copyright their maps.
Maybe, maybe, maybe.  Therefore, the caution note I posted about "willy
nilly" copying the government's maps is valid.
 
Len Nadybal