[thelist] Open source licensing and web development
M. Seyon
evoltlist at delime.com
Tue Oct 26 20:38:30 CDT 2004
Message from Kasimir K (10/26/2004 07:44 PM)
>So is "the Program" just one script, or the entire system?
>
>I imagine that if I wrote C code, it would be easy to say if I've used
>another program in mine or not. But somehow this seems to be less clear
>when I write PHP.
I don't know, I suppose it depends on how much code you wrote? Would you
copyright the C code that did the equivalent of printing "Hello world"?
>Is the web just inherently more complex when it comes to copyright issues?
Yes. I don't think the original drafters of the copyright laws really had
the Internet in mind when they were doing their thing, and current
lawmakers haven't quite gotten up to speed, it's really only been 10 years
after all, on really understanding and acting on the implications of the
Internet to copyright in the future.
I recently came across this book on Amazon - Copyright in Historical
Perspective by Lyman Ray Patterson, ISBN 0826513735. I haven't read it yet
but it certainly looks interesting.
Also regarding your comment in an earlier email:
>So any of the html documents the visitors access would be beyond my
>licences, as I did not create them, but my client did. Is this correct?
No, I don't think that's at all correct. If Ford builds the machine that
builds its cars but didn't necessarily build the cars, does that mean they
don't own the rights to the cars?
I guess if you want to find a specific technical argument for why you do
actually have rights to the html documents you could delve into the
"derivative works" aspects of copyright.
That said, as in most matters legal, I really don't think bringing your
questions to thelist for a definitive answer is the wisest decision. This
isn't to slight any member of the list, but law can be a very arcane field
and it's always best to get advice from an actual lawyer, licenced to
practise law in your part of the world and specialising in your area of
interest. If only because we're a very geographically diverse list and your
laws may not necessarily be mine, or anyone else's.
regards.
-marc
--
Trinidad Carnival in all its photographic glory. Playyuhself.com
http://www.playyuhself.com/
More information about the thelist
mailing list