All Questions
Tagged with copyright open-source-software
95
questions
0
votes
1
answer
683
views
Is writing articles by fixing Google Translate Copyright Infringement?
I am currently looking for documentation for software in a non-English language, but there is only documentation on the software in English.
In order to help other non-English speakers, I decided to ...
8
votes
2
answers
337
views
Can a child release his own work into e.g. the public domain?
I (15 years old; living in Germany) write software now for ~four years and wondered whether I can release it into the public domain or under some free software license without having to ask somebody. ...
- 191
0
votes
0
answers
71
views
Copyright issue of the interface of Windows Notepad
I'm developing Windows application. It is crypto-functioning notepad.
And its design(UI interface) is almost(approx 90%?) same with Microsoft Windows Notepad.
Differences are only some buttons and ...
- 111
0
votes
1
answer
69
views
Can I get benefits of others' contributions to my GPL licensed software to use these contributions in my proprietary software?
I have my own code of a software, purely coded by me. I am intending to open source it, GPLv3 or Apache 2.0. Then I will add them to Github to let others get benefits of source code and contribute ...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
87
views
Can a company modify and use the source code of a GPLed library without selling it or releasing the modification?
I have a specific case here for which I could not find a clear answer here or on other pages. I am working for a company that is interested in using an open source code licensed under GPL v2.1. The ...
- 1
-1
votes
1
answer
58
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Selling second hand and copyright
If I sell a bit of GPL'ed software I am required to provide source code, or an offer of same. This is based on the "distribution" clause of the GPL. According to this question, if I sell GPL'ed ...
- 827
2
votes
2
answers
176
views
Is a contribution clause necessary in dual-licensed MIT-or-Apache code?
I’ve noticed a lot of dual-licensed MIT-or-Apache Rust projects have added this clause concerning contributions:
### Contribution
Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution ...
- 121
0
votes
1
answer
128
views
How to dissuade certain organizations using my open source code?
I want to prevent military, policing, and surveillance companies from using my open source code in their projects, through a custom permissive license. Of course, I can't tell the military itself ...
- 461
0
votes
0
answers
206
views
Which U.S. law forbids unlicensed diff files for a copyrighted work?
I know the topic is difficult. But - being a programmer and no lawyer - I want to understand it as best as I can. And it would be good to know the legal issue here for all types of works, not just ...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
34
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Conditions on using the Java Virtual Machine specification
The appendix to the Java Virtual Machine specification states:
License for Evaluation Purposes. Specification Lead hereby grants you a fully-paid, non-exclusive, non-transferable, ...
- 101
1
vote
3
answers
226
views
GPL-3.0's "Open-Sourceness", Images and Image Formats
I took an SVG image from a set which is distributed under GPL-3.0 and used it as (a large) part of an icon I made to a software of mine, which is also distributed under GPL-3.0. So far, everything is ...
- 111
1
vote
1
answer
82
views
What is the license of the code submitted for review but not yet incorporated in the project?
In the case when there is no explicit mention regarding the rules for such case in the project policy (like, f.e. GitHub
has), what is the status of the code/patch submitted for the review (using ...
- 113
4
votes
3
answers
950
views
Can I legally make a real mobile app based on a fictional app from a TV show?
There's a fictional mobile app in a Netflix TV show that I'd like to make a real thing. I'm an independent developer, I don't plan on monetizing it in any way, and it's going to be open-source. Is it ...
- 141
1
vote
3
answers
174
views
Including geometry dervied from copyrighted fonts in open source software
I'm developing a open source software that (internally) uses font glyph identification. The glyphs I'd like to detect come from copyrighted fonts, to which I have personal use licenses.
By font glyph ...
- 113
31
votes
3
answers
9k
views
Can an open source licence be revoked if it violates employer's IP?
Suppose a developer's contract says that all intellectual property (IP) rights to her code belong to her UK employer. While employed, she develops a library and open-sources it under the Apache 2.0 ...
- 505
0
votes
1
answer
69
views
Distribute Licensed library with stripped code [closed]
I am currently having a bit of a struggle. I wrote a software that uses some methods from Mojangs Minecraft Server Software.
The project is open source and I want to compile, test, etc. my project ...
- 103
3
votes
1
answer
199
views
Are computer generated error messages subject to copyright?
In firefox, it throws up a generated error in response to the website that im creating (which is my work). can i then copy and paste part of that error into my program as part of a solution im writing?...
-1
votes
2
answers
128
views
Selling License Exceptions using CLA
I am working on an open-source software project in academia. It is currently licensed under a modified BSD-style license that allows only unmodified, non-commercial usage. We are currently considering ...
- 101
0
votes
1
answer
251
views
Are there any AGPL-style licences that require source code modifications to be public?
So my understanding of the AGPL, is that it requires modifications to be distributed to the users of the network service, but I'm looking for a licence that would require any modifications (non-...
- 11
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Is a copyright notice with a non-existent name invalid?
If a person changes their name, do any copyrights registered to them still apply?
Or at least, as this is the subject in mind, does any software licensed to them still hold the same copyright?
- 115
5
votes
1
answer
308
views
How to enforce GPL if the copyright holder doesn't have access to the source code of violating software?
I'd like to publish a C library project that I have written on GitHub and license it under GPL, so I am doing some research on open source licenses and some confusion comes to mind.
Let's say Evil ...
- 51
2
votes
1
answer
241
views
Must I always ask permission if I use code someone other wrote?
I was told that it might be useful to publish something on Github to get a job. I was wondering if there are any copyright issues here:
Suppose I got an idea of a small program. I do it mostly by my ...
- 23
4
votes
1
answer
239
views
Can I use my own Open Source code in commercial software I'm writing?
If I release some code that I wrote myself with an Open Source license (a WordPress plugin with the GPL2 license, https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html), can I then use my own code in commercial ...
- 143
0
votes
0
answers
158
views
Modifying Open Source System Files to Cheat
I am asking this question primarily as a follow up to this question: Is creating and selling "cheats" or "hacks" for games illegal?
The consensus in that question seems that it is ...
- 3,568
0
votes
1
answer
50
views
Copyright on code from public source
Let's imagine consultancy A develops a code for client B that use some free available code from a website so it's a derivative work from the free code (MIT license). Can consultancy A re-use the same ...
- 133
1
vote
2
answers
249
views
Does a company own my company's product if I use their open source code?
Does a company own my company's product if I use their open source code?
I am reading through the SDK License agreement of a company's code and it reads:
========================================
...
2
votes
1
answer
217
views
Open source idea closely related to product at work
For a while I have had an idea for an open source project. Now, I've started building something similar at work as an internal tool (so not public). So does that mean I can not go on and do the ...
user14529
1
vote
2
answers
165
views
When a contractor develops a program based on clients specifications, who owns the rights?
I was hired to create a computer program. The client gave me directions on what it should do and how the UI should look like (complete with pictures). No formal contract was ever made, and I realize ...
- 57
2
votes
2
answers
137
views
Is taking influence from an Apache licensed software copyright infringment?
This question was first posted on Open Source here.
I'll try to be more specific about what I'm doing:
After using FluentValidation for a few project I wanted to take a try at developing my own ...
2
votes
1
answer
270
views
Why is there a year generated in copyright license code?
I just generated a new MIT licensed repository on Github. Part of the license looks like this:
Copyright (c) 2017 superfly-css
What is the purpose of having a year in the copyright line? Is it ...
- 327
2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Can I accept donations if I use open source software with "no commercial use" clause?
If I use components forbidding commercial use in my website/app (such as copyleft or share alike), can I (3 situations):
Accept donations
Accept donations and give some privileges to donors, such as ...
- 157
0
votes
1
answer
64
views
Can I use any library I want in a public domain program?
If I install a library on my system (let's say it's called libfoo and it is under the BSD license), then include the header in my program (in the public domain) and link the program to libfoo, is that ...
- 153
0
votes
2
answers
334
views
Why do you have to accept a licencing agreenment before installing Java but not C++?
There is a license to use Java which you must accept before installing. Why isn't there one for C or C++? If there is, where can it be found? I'm guessing it has to do with how Oracle owns Java, but ...
- 29
6
votes
3
answers
372
views
Can I inspect websites' source in teaching video?
As a web developer, I find that we can learn a ton about HTML, CSS and JavaScript by opening the Developer Tools in Chromium and inspect elements, seeing the names other developer choose for their CSS ...
- 171
3
votes
1
answer
123
views
Software licence where no licence is found
Is it correct that I can't take the source code from an educational book and write/use in my website or use it for my own teaching purposes?
Or can such code be considered "generic code" without ...
0
votes
1
answer
215
views
How does contributing to a FLOSS project work from a legal perspective?
Some points I know:
Contributors own copyright over their contributions, which means the author (= the owner of the repo and original author) cannot re-license the code (= change the license of the ...
- 101
7
votes
2
answers
411
views
Does using Java or Mono open me up to the possibility of being sued by Oracle or Microsoft?
Given the recent lawsuit between Google and Oracle due to Oracle's claims of the unfair usage of the Java API's in Android.
I have a large amount of Java and C# code for certain back end processes on ...
MrCyber
13
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is it legal to write software to convert data from a proprietary format?
I have created a piece of software that converts a proprietary format from the database blob of a large, well known commercial software company into the equivalent open source data type. The large ...
- 131
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What is the Copyright Status of code posted on JSFiddle?
Programmers share code on the site JSFiddle http://jsfiddle.net, the website section called Licence states:
All code posted to the site belongs to the poster and no license is enforced.
jsFiddle are ...
- 115
3
votes
0
answers
85
views
Ingesting source files from other open source project into mine
I am publishing an open-source code project under the MIT-style license. I have the full notice in the LICENSE file of the source repository.
I want to take a whole file from another open-source ...
- 191
5
votes
1
answer
984
views
Meaning of uppercase paragraphs in software licenses
For example, in the MIT license we find this paragraph:
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF ...
- 237
4
votes
0
answers
63
views
Copyright law and distribution terms for public versions or derivatives
The present question is a special case of Can one take BSD licensed code and distribute it under GPL?.
Looking recently at OpenBSD's LibreSSL, I've noticed that SSLeay that it traces its roots to (...
- 5,078
4
votes
1
answer
530
views
Can someone print and sell tshirts whose design includes Apache licensed emojis?
Is printing an emoji on tee shirts and selling them copyright infringement if the emoji font is under the Apache open source license?
- 293
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is WINE illegal?
Is WINE (WINE Is Not an Emulator) illegal?
Given that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has held in Oracle v. Google that APIs are copyrightable, is WINE (which reproduces the Windows ...
111
10
votes
2
answers
486
views
At what point and how should I change the license/Copyright notice when I create a derivative?
If I take a piece of software that is licensed as MIT (quoted at the end), and use it as a scaffold to create for my own thing, do I need to keep including the old license perpetually? This would seem ...
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