[gameprogrammer] Re: Creating a software license and plubliclicense

On Tue, 2004-04-27 at 23:44, Marco Alvarado wrote:
> Now that you are talking about those issues, does
> someone knows what it takes to create a software
> license, and to create a public one like GPL? Is it
> neccesary to hire a lawyer? Could a programmer like me
> write down one?

IANAL... 

Anyone can create a license. But, the trick is to create one that will
stand up in court. The only thing a license gives you is the right to
sue people who violate it. That means that the license must be legally
valid. And, if it is used for software that is distributed over the
Internet then it needs to be internationally legally valid and so must
work withing the framework of international treaties and common low.

So... Unless you know all that stuff pretty well, then you should get a
lawyer. Before you do, write down in plain language what you want people
to be able to do with your software and what you don't want them to do.
And then ask the lawyer to help you come up with a license that does
that.

The main purpose of most licenses is to keep people from ripping you
off. The main ways they can rip you off is by suing you and by using
your software to make money without giving any to you.

Think about it.

                Bob Pendleton

> 
> Regards!
> 
> 
>       
>               
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+--------------------------------------+
+ Bob Pendleton: writer and programmer +
+ email: Bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx             +
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