[thelist] Intellectual property on source files

[Mike Hardaker]

> True, but you also wouldn't expect Ford to supply you with the machining
> tools or the engineers to add those wheels and spoilers. If you wanted to
> completely replace the engine in the deliverable car, you would need to
> start that section from scratch.

The metaphor is getting a bit strained, I think :-)

You can modify or replace the engine in a car without having access to the
engine manufacturer's mathematics. However, it is tricky to modify a Web
site without getting at the source (and thus the thinking behind *how* it
does what it does).

I guess the neatest IP approach is to encapsulate as much code as possible
in COM objects (or something similar), giving the client the *interfaces*,
and whatever basic HTML is necessary to stitch the compiled code together.

That way, you are much closer to the car analogy - knowing *what* the code
does, and how it communicates with the outside world, the client can write
(or commission) a replacement object without getting access to the original
developer's toolkit.

Not very "open" though, is it?

> Of course, there is no substitute for a
> contract that makes all this clear.

Too right...

> > If that's the case, I guess you need another thumb.
>
> I often think that in this industry we could all do with extra
> thumbs, hands
> and hours in the day.

Oh yes!

Mike

-------------------
Mike Hardaker
Founder & Publisher
AngloINFO
www.angloinfo.com