rules for offering scripts ?

olaf

Hallo,
I'm busy with building my own php resource page. (I don't plan to push Phpbuilder away 😉 )

For now i have some snippets in my code library. Do i have to write some warnings on my site to prevent me for claims? Or do i have to use something like GNU?

Weedpacket

Probably want to have a disclaimer (included with the script) absolving you of blame if it causes all the magic smoke to leak out of the user's computer. Everyone else does, and doesn't really hurt JIC.

olaf

I understand this will help to explain if something went wrong. 🙂

Do you have an example?

And why do people use a GNU license?

Weedpacket

Originally posted by olaf
And why do people use a GNU license?

Because they can? No, really; there are plenty of other open source licences around, typically modelled after each other to a greater or lesser extent (PHP's is built on the BSD licence, for example); but these disclaimers aren't limited to Open Source; you'll probably find something about limitation of liability in the documentation of pretty much any piece of published software around. Just look for a paragraph written in ALL CAPS 🙂

olaf

wow...

(maybe i should do a study in law)

Thanks. this looks so much... maybe its while i'm from Holland....😕

olaf

is this enough for some simple scripts?

This script is free for non-commercial use. If you use
this script keep all header information intact.
The author of this script is not liable for any damages
arising out of the use this code.

drawmack

You have to say something about no waranties epress or implied.

olaf

Hallo,
thanks for this information... what do you mean with "epress" (i think this is just mistake)

olaf

I think i like this agreement:

You may use this PHP script, with or without modifications, free of charge.
You may NOT distribute or republish this script, whether modified or not.
The script is meant for your personal use on your website, and can only be
distributed by the author.
THIS SERVICE, THE INFORMATION SUPPLIED, THE SCRIPT(S) AND HTML CODE GENERATED
ARE PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, NOT EVEN THE IMPLIED WARRANTY
OF MECHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. YOU AGREE TO BEAR ALL RISKS
AND LIABILITIES ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS SCRIPT AND THE INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY IT.
If you cannot agree to any of the above conditions, you may not use this script.

drawmack

epress = express and you've got that in your new disclaimer. BTW: If you just used the GPL you'd have that disclaimer minus the section about redistribution. Which, BTW: I don't like. Let's say I take your function and use it in a larger program that I want to give away. I've got to send them to your site for the function within my program. That doesn't really makes sense.

olaf

...you are right this notes are only for small scripts, for later applications i have to use a different agreement. I replaced the first 2 paragraphs with this:

You may use this PHP script, with or without modifications, free of charge.
If you use this script keep all header information intact, whether modified or not.

sounds beter??

drawmack

yeah it's better but I'm still going to have to recommend just going with one of the open source licences which are probably better then anything anyone here can come up with, without copying those files anyway.

olaf

yes I took a look on these article and i think i use them for bigger applications.

You know i'm here in Holland and it sounds a little to much rules for a small class.

The only thing i want, is that people don't have a bad mood about my work and that smart guys didn't use my work as their own. 😃

zapa

you cant go wrong with "use at own risk" hehe can ya? 🙂

drawmack

Originally posted by olaf
yes I took a look on these article and i think i use them for bigger applications.

You know i'm here in Holland and it sounds a little to much rules for a small class.

The only thing i want, is that people don't have a bad mood about my work and that smart guys didn't use my work as their own. 😃

Remember that some areas have laws against denying standard mechantibility requirements and if you don't meet those you can be held liable no matter what you say on the site as well.

olaf

in some area's?

drawmack

in some places. For example some U.S. states. So if someone in one of those states downloaded your code and it harmed their system and this falls under the standard laws of merchantability you could still be liable.

olaf

what about zappa's "use at own risk" ?

i cannot believe that providing free software could be so hard to handle for the law

laserlight

There is a distinction here between Free/Open Source Software and software released free of charge.

For example, your 6th post gave a license that offers the software free of charge, but definitely does not satisfy the Open Source Definition.

is that people don't have a bad mood about my work and that smart guys didn't use my work as their own.

You'll need to be more specific.
For example, if I created a derivative of your work, but gave credit to you, would that be using your work as my own, in your opinion?
If you're fine with that, then most of the open source licenses around, including the (modified) BSD license, the MIT/Expat license and the zlib/libpng license should do fine for you, but I personally like the Academic Free License for this sort of thing.

Still, maybe you think that you're fine with people using your work and giving credit to you, but you want to make sure that this new work can be used by you, because its source code is, or can be, available to you.
In that case, aspects of the GNU GPL may make the General Public License suitable for you. I for my part cant really decide between the GPL and the Open Software License for this sort of thing.

Note that I'm just suggesting as a fellow developer would suggest, not as a lawyer would suggest.

olaf

Hallo laserlight,

thanks for your opinion...

Of course i can use one these open source licenses, but it looks me a little bit to much agreement for a peace of script from 3 kb.

For example, if I created a derivative of your work, but gave credit to you, would that be using your work as my own, in your opinion?

I think it is fair to credit someone’s script/class if you have a lot of profit with this. I don't want to invite people to download my work and present this work as their own somewhere on the internet.

By the way I noticed a lot of scripts on the net without a license agreement, maybe I’m wrong 😕