Author: Bruce Moreland
Date: 14:20:18 01/25/99
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On January 25, 1999 at 16:12:47, KarinsDad wrote: >On January 25, 1999 at 13:45:00, Robert Hyatt wrote: > >[snip] > >>> >>>Aside from legal and moral issues, I find confusing the meaning of freeware or >>>public domain. Opening books are built from human theory and used by every >>>program. I have never seen opening lines in computer games quoted "as in the >>>game Karpov-Ivanchuk, Linares '92". Tablebases are widely used too by >>>programmers that had nothing to do with their development. These are two quick >>>examples of "public domain" used freely (as in free-ware?) by everybody. I >>>guess I am being naive. >> >> >>these are not so problematic. IE if you didn't use the 'database data' in a >>tablebase, what part would be usable? That's all there is. > >A better way to put it is that any software (.dlls, .exes, ActiveX controls, >etc.) that is placed within the public domain for use can be bundled elsewhere. >Any software which is sold for re-bundling can also bundled elsewhere. > >Tablebases and opening books which are placed on the web as public domain or >which are purchased for the purpose of re-bundling (i.e. not for use with a >given program as part of the program's kit), can be re-used. > >An opening book that comes with Fritz cannot be used this way without the >permision of the manufacturers of Fritz. People are approaching this from a legal point of view, meaning that they are asking whether things are legal or illegal to do. If the Fritz guys told me, sure, take Fritz, put your own name on it, and sell it, that sounds legal to me. But I'm not talking about the legalities of things, I'm talking about whether particular systems should be allowed entry into tournaments, under certain conditions. There is a fundamental rule in these tournaments that one guy can't write all of the competing programs, whether or not he gives permission (or needs to give permissing) to others to enter them. You write your one program and you enter it, you don't write several and enter them all. That is where I am coming from. I don't want Bob entering these tournaments more than once per tournament. And it sounds like Bob doesn't want to either. bruce
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