Author: Jon Dart
Date: 21:08:51 02/23/06
Go up one level in this thread
The most common open source license is GPL, which says if you distribute a modified version, then you must make the modified source available. The BSD license is more liberal in that it allows distribution of derived versions as binary only, but there are requirements that you acknowledge the origin of the code via a copyright statement distributed with the program. Both of these address your first concern, which is to prevent unacknowledged clones. But they are focused on redistribution. If I modify a GPL or BSD licensed program for my private use, or if I use it on the Internet without making the code (source or binary) available, then I don't violate the license and I can do as I please. So you could meet a clone of your program online sometime (GPL version 3, now in draft, tries to plug the hole wrt Internet usage - mostly this is targeted at businesses offering software as a service on their own host). (Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and am probably oversimplifying here). Arasan and several other programs are open source, but not offered under a standard open source license. I address the clone concern by not allowing redistribution of modified versions. I don't worry about the second one (someone using a modified version online). --Jon
This page took 0 seconds to execute
Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700
Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.