Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 [2]  Send TopicPrint
Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Open source license choice (Read 14713 times)
Christer Alexander
God Member
*****
Offline


Make my day...

Posts: 3443
Location: Lethbridge
Joined: Feb 10th, 2002
Gender: Male
Re: Open source license choice
Reply #15 - Jun 3rd, 2002 at 4:43am
Print Post  
Michael wrote on Jun 3rd, 2002 at 12:36am:
Because I'm not a lawyer? Undecided Rather use one that's tried and true, you know? I could write one, I suppose, if I had a general idea of what was "right," but after seeing all these licenses, each written in a different way (compare the GPL vs. the MPL or the NCSA).

Actually, though, maybe something simple would work out, if it's really clear. The NCSA license looks like a good one to that effect. It's about a tenth the size of the rest. Wink Basically says the copyright must be retained and there's no warranty. I just wonder if the "without restriction" part is giving away anything important that I've overlooked?


My brother is a lawyer....want me to ask him to write up a good one?
  

Code
Select All
unless(0) { stab("LoonyPandora"); next; } 

Back to top
IP Logged
 
Michael
God Member
*****
Offline


Recursion \Re*cur"sion\,
n. - See recursion.

Posts: 1003
Joined: Oct 23rd, 2001
Gender: Male
Re: Open source license choice
Reply #16 - Jun 3rd, 2002 at 12:30pm
Print Post  
Quote:
If you are wanting anyone to use your code freely, you don't need a bunch of stipulations. You basically need something that says "Hey, don't remove our copyright. If you incorporate parts of our code into your program, give us due credit. No, you cannot copyright this yourself. We invented it, so it's still ours."
...
Easiest way to get screwed is to agree to rules you didn't make up, IMHO.

Yeah, but the law sucks so much these days, it's easy to get screwed no matter what, it seems. I mean, c'mon, a woman winning a few million dollars from McDonald's because she spilled hot coffee over herself? Positively ridiculous, but it happens. Odds are that we'll never face this problem, I suppose, but better not to take the risk and try to get everything covered. I dunno.. I think I'll take Krikkert up on his offer and see what his brother says, and I'll ask my dad's opinion too, since he's worked in the industry for years.. Maybe you're right.

Heh, here's a good view of the situation.

Quote:
Most of the stuff I've ever worked on never had a pre-made license. I believe YaBB has it's own, too.

YaBB's is a blatant copy of the GPL, with the words "General Public License" replaced with "YaBB Public License." I'd never noticed it before. Someone even forgot to replace an "(address here?)."
Edited:
Hm, okay, not a "copy," but a "modified version," which is permitted.


Quote:
My brother is a lawyer....want me to ask him to write up a good one?

Would you? Well, actually, would you ask him what it would take to just ensure that the code can be used in any way as long as the copyrights are retained? Can we just say "This code may be used and/or modified free of charge for any purpose with the stipulation that the copyright must be retained in the source code and in any 'credits' or 'about' displays in the software"? Thanks, Krikkert!
  

~ Michael ~
-------------
The MikeCam
A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn.
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Christer Alexander
God Member
*****
Offline


Make my day...

Posts: 3443
Location: Lethbridge
Joined: Feb 10th, 2002
Gender: Male
Re: Open source license choice
Reply #17 - Jun 3rd, 2002 at 3:23pm
Print Post  
Quote:
You should use this:

The code of this application can be used for any purpose as long as this copyright notice follows the modified code, and is displayed in all texts that shows information about the application.


I think lawyers are weird....I don't know what he said, then he explained, and I wrote down the easiest form of it  Roll Eyes
  

Code
Select All
unless(0) { stab("LoonyPandora"); next; } 

Back to top
IP Logged
 
Michael
God Member
*****
Offline


Recursion \Re*cur"sion\,
n. - See recursion.

Posts: 1003
Joined: Oct 23rd, 2001
Gender: Male
Re: Open source license choice
Reply #18 - Jun 4th, 2002 at 2:15am
Print Post  
Okay, thanks for braving the legalese and checking that out, Krikkert! That's essentially what the NCSA license says, so I think I'm going to go with that, if there are no objections!

Talked with my father, btw, and he agreed that it would be best to not try my hand at writing my own, as (essentially) I don't know what I'm doing.
  

~ Michael ~
-------------
The MikeCam
A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn.
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Michael
God Member
*****
Offline


Recursion \Re*cur"sion\,
n. - See recursion.

Posts: 1003
Joined: Oct 23rd, 2001
Gender: Male
Re: Open source license choice
Reply #19 - Jun 8th, 2002 at 2:06am
Print Post  
Last call, any objections?
  

~ Michael ~
-------------
The MikeCam
A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn.
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Shoeb Omar
God Member
*****
Offline


Mod Writer

Posts: 5665
Location: San Diego
Joined: Jun 29th, 2001
Gender: Male
Re: Open source license choice
Reply #20 - Jun 8th, 2002 at 4:42am
Print Post  
no Cheesy
  

YaBB SP2 BETA!
Now taking pay jobs in PHP or Perl.  Contact me for details.
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Christer Alexander
God Member
*****
Offline


Make my day...

Posts: 3443
Location: Lethbridge
Joined: Feb 10th, 2002
Gender: Male
Re: Open source license choice
Reply #21 - Jun 8th, 2002 at 10:26am
Print Post  
no objections here....not from my bro either Wink
  

Code
Select All
unless(0) { stab("LoonyPandora"); next; } 

Back to top
IP Logged
 
Michael
God Member
*****
Offline


Recursion \Re*cur"sion\,
n. - See recursion.

Posts: 1003
Joined: Oct 23rd, 2001
Gender: Male
Re: Open source license choice
Reply #22 - Jun 9th, 2002 at 12:10pm
Print Post  
Okay, sorry to do a complete 180 on you, but after exchanging e-mail with someone more experienced than I (Linus Torvalds of Linux fame), and discussing it further with my father (who also has a great deal more experience), last night I changed my mind and decided I'd rather go with the GNU GPL than the NCSA/BSD.

Some explanation:
- As Linus told me, using the NCSA/BSD or other non-viral licenses, if the project becomes commercially viable, someone can pick it up and run with it, making additions/improvements/changes without making them available to the public.
- What my father told me struck me the most, however. In 1980 he developed a virtual terminal software for his Master's thesis that allowed people to connect from their minicomputers (Apple II's at the time, I believe) to an IBM mainframe at their school or workplace. Not long afterwards, a company called VisiCorp began selling a product called VisiTerm. This "VisiTerm" was my father's software, improved somewhat, but very much the same, down to having the exact same menu and his name embedded in the Assembly code. It was being sold for about $300 a copy.
- My thoughts are that, although this MOST LIKELY will never become very popular or of much consequence, there are many people in computing who had no idea what their creation would become. And so, rather than risk some unscrupulous person running with it, making some changes, and selling our hard work, I'd like to make sure it remains free. Originally, I wanted a looser license so that no one would feel restricted, in terms of being forced to use the GPL or anything. But now I think that, even if some potential commercial developer sees the GPL and changes their mind, that's no loss to us, only to them. If they really do want it, they'll probably accept the GPL, and we'll have professional additions to the community and code. Again, odds are very good that the commercial situation will NOT arise, however, I certainly can't tell the future. So, if it's going to be free, we might as well make sure that it stays free.
  

~ Michael ~
-------------
The MikeCam
A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn.
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Shoeb Omar
God Member
*****
Offline


Mod Writer

Posts: 5665
Location: San Diego
Joined: Jun 29th, 2001
Gender: Male
Re: Open source license choice
Reply #23 - Jun 9th, 2002 at 7:01pm
Print Post  
okely dokely. You spoke to Linus Torvalds?!?!?!??!?!?!?! Shocked
  

YaBB SP2 BETA!
Now taking pay jobs in PHP or Perl.  Contact me for details.
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 [2] 
Send TopicPrint