posted
I see a lot of stuff online that is labeled free. Does this mean that as long as I keep documented exactly where I got everything from and when, that I have no legal liability for reusing the free-labeled objects? (Snips of code, pictures, and so on.) For instance, Code-sucks has some great border effects and code I'd like to use.
On that note, anyone know of good free image tools for a website?
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
If you actually care about staying within the confines of copyright law, then most "free" stuff isn't all that usable. Unless the license/terms of use clearly give you the right to make a derivative work, or if the work is public domain, you can't be sure.
For something like the Code-sucks samples, it appears that the stuff is effectively, but not explicitly public domain. If it weren't for the fact that the samples are mostly quite trivial, I would advise you to ask for more explicit permission to use them.
You may run across things that are licensed under a creative commons license or the GPL or BSD-style license. These licenses are all easy to understand and are not ambiguous. You can use works under those licenses with confidence (provided you stick to the terms, of course).
Fortunately, it shouldn't take long for you to get to the point where it is easier for you to write new code or re-use your old code than for you to find an appropriate example. Once you get there, you'll have complete ownership of your code, which always feels good.
Posts: 145 | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
NotMe summarized it pretty good. When I use anyone else's code, I check to make sure it's effectively in the public domain or gives me derivative rights. Then, I also document it in the comments.
This is pretty rare, though. I'll Google for references on syntax or how a specific (special) function works, then write my own code, way more often than I'll utilize an entire piece from someone else.
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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quote:Originally posted by NotMe: If you actually care about staying within the confines of copyright law, then most "free" stuff isn't all that usable. Unless the license/terms of use clearly give you the right to make a derivative work, or if the work is public domain, you can't be sure.
For something like the Code-sucks samples, it appears that the stuff is effectively, but not explicitly public domain. If it weren't for the fact that the samples are mostly quite trivial, I would advise you to ask for more explicit permission to use them.
You may run across things that are licensed under a creative commons license or the GPL or BSD-style license. These licenses are all easy to understand and are not ambiguous. You can use works under those licenses with confidence (provided you stick to the terms, of course).
Fortunately, it shouldn't take long for you to get to the point where it is easier for you to write new code or re-use your old code than for you to find an appropriate example. Once you get there, you'll have complete ownership of your code, which always feels good.
further evidence that Copyright law sucks and should be abolished
copyright law is great for making everybody reinvent the wheel every time.
quote:Originally posted by Nato: copyright law is great for making everybody reinvent the wheel every time.
Or they could license it from people who took the time to make it, or look for an open source solution from people who have chosen to make their work available. Or if you are forced to "reinvent the wheel" for something, release it under an open source license so no one has to repeat the work again.
Posts: 2437 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
Thanks for the advice, all! Any thoughts on good image editing software? I need to create simple buttons with gradated colors, something that should be rather easy to do.
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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