Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2017 09:27:22 +0100 From: Sid <sid@bsdmail.com> To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org, jonc@chen.org.nz, portmaster@BSDforge.com, grog@FreeBSD.org, gurenchan@gmail.com Subject: Re: License and adopting software Message-ID: <trinity-1b9cf7bd-189d-4694-b453-c8093b0e3b62-1514104042116@3c-app-mailcom-lxa08>
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If the author doesn't respond, it's best to move on=2E Either use their GPL= , or completely rewrite it, to avoid infringing on their work=2E It should = be in it's own separate files, so it doesn't get absorbed into that other w= ork's more restrictive license, before it is its own work=2E You'll need to= look more into that=2E Their copyright of the work is what you have to avoid, which is allowed fo= r use by its respective license variant: GPL, LGPL, BSD, ISC, Apache, MIT, = etc=2E These publications help with what constitutes general and software copyrig= ht, to avoid infringing on developers' licensed copyrights=2E https://www=2Ecopyright=2Egov/circs/circ01=2Epdf - Copyright Basics https://www=2Ecopyright=2Egov/circs/circ33=2Epdf - Works not Protected by = Copyright https://www=2Ecopyright=2Egov/circs/circ61=2Epdf - Copyright Registration = of Computer Programs There are other organizing bodies on copyright, that will convey useful in= formation too=2E "The copyright law does not protect the func- tional aspects of a computer program, such as the program=E2=80=99s=20 algorithms, formatting, functions, logic, or system design=2E" An "ad minima" such as adding obvious words and minimum content like "an" = or "the" also don't account for copyright protection=2E Lists and facts don= 't account for copyright=2E I don't really understand, if the section "Derivative Computer Programs" i= n circ61 is referring to an author's own work, or others' works=2E This is = worth investigating=2E The core FreeBSD was rewritten from scratch, as in completely different co= de that accomplished the objective of removed code=2E It's like the differe= nce between a car, shoes, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a scooter, a train, and = a dolly for function of transport, that most have the inclusion of the comm= on public domain wheel=2E I'm not familiar with code=2E But when there's a story, set of facts, othe= r ideas, or other information, there are many ways to write about it, witho= ut infringing on a copyright=2E There are many summaries, or book reports t= hat don't infringe on the author's work, but they all accomplish the task o= f depicting that work=2E Drawings are a little different: freehand drawing = still violates a copyright of the original work, even if the end result loo= ks fundamentally different than the photo it is from=2E I hope this clears up some ideas about licenses, and their relation to wha= t is covered by softwares' respective copyrights=2E
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