home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
ShareWare OnLine 2
/
ShareWare OnLine Volume 2 (CMS Software)(1993).iso
/
bbs_soft
/
jdrsrc08.zip
/
LICENSE.TXT
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-04-05
|
7KB
|
102 lines
LICENSE It seems I am granting you a limited license to utilize this
software. The program is copyrighted after all.
So in that spirit, here are the "rules" you must follow:
No more than 5% of the code (in bytes) may be used for
your commercial/shareware/freeware products.
For each subroutine you do use for your
commercial/shareware products, I would like to see a
royalty of one cent (per subroutine) for each copy of
your program that you sell.
No utility utilizing the data structures, files created
by, or files of this software may charge a higher fee
(shareware or otherwise) than the registration fee I
charge.
Further, programs that use more than 5% of the code, or
make use of the software's data structures may, at any
time, be fully incorporated into future releases of this
software without compensation or acknowledgement on my
part.
I GRANT NO RIGHT FOR ANY DISK SERVICE OR ANYBODY TO
CHARGE ANY FEE FOR THIS PRODUCT. THIS INCLUDES ANY
COSTS, INCLUDING POSTAGE AND HANDLING, THAT CAN BE
IMAGINED. So, as long you distribute this product for
free, I have no problems. It is allowed to be posted on
on general payment BBS's, but may not be packaged with
other software as part of a package purchase. You may
not rent or lease it to others. CD-ROM services may
include it on their ROM's. Shareware catalogs may
include it in their catalog.
Ok, lets get down and dirty: what I want to see is 3rd party
software also include their source, and preferably be tested
by me first--so I may optionally choose to include it in the
next version (you always get credit for your work). If you
go off and write a log analyzer (say) and charge a $50 fee
for it, I reserve the right to, and probably will, include it
in my source. However, since you may be unhelpful in said
regard--I will most likely write a better one that utilizes
many of your ideas and put it in the program. Why all this?
It is mainly to keep quality control over the product, this
includes keeping it up-to-date with the best possible
routines and options. Any 3rd party software that pops up
means I forgot something, or there is a better way to do it
than I have done it. And all these silly rules will allow me
to do it like the 3rd party guy did. Also, if you are using
the code for commercial products then you (really) should
develop it yourself--it is hard to maintain someone elses
code. And this code will change often.
The way around these restrictions: utilize my data
structures/etc. as part of a general system (where you are
making use of the data from many BBS programs or other). Even
then I may "peel off" from your product your ideas, but at
least I would not be absorbing your whole product. I want
free and open software, 3rd party developers should only
develop routines that can be added onto the source, and then
released as part of the next version of this BBS software as
a whole. The "proper" 3rd party product: 1. design a
subroutine to work with this source, 2. send it up to my BBS,
3. I will confirm what it does, make sure it is compatible,
and perhaps optimize it, 4. it will then be included as part
of the source. If there is a capability/problem that a 3rd
party developer sees, I will see it as well, and work to
add/fix it. I really do not want to see a hundred files
"related" to JDR_BBS--whether code fragments or fully
functional sub-programs. If you want to write, say, a log
analyzer program without running it by me first, you can BET
that the next release will have a log analyzer written by me-
-totally wasting your effort, and forcing me to re-invent
your wheel.
Perhaps the one thing that would really make me mad: if you
were to take this software, and use most of it for your own
BBS program. It does not matter what language you convert it
into. You can reverse engineer it--like AMI/AWARD/etc. does
with BIOS, or AMD does with INTEL chips. But like both of
these examples, just because the specs are public domain,
does not mean you can make duplicates. You can modify this
software for your own use, but you cannot modify (or reverse
engineer) this software and then re-distribute it (in any
form). This has occurred with so many other BBS programs
that it makes me mad that nobody out there seems to care.
Example: you just bought an Amiga, and decide to make your
BBS Amiga specific using the Amiga computer. Having run
JDR_BBS for 10 years, you like it. So you make some
modifications to get it to work properly on the Amiga. Fine.
Then you get interest from other Amiga sysops. So you give
them copies, or create a JDR_BBS-FORTHEAMIGA file and post
it. Wrong. You should dump your modifications on me, then I
will include them in the next release, with a configuration
question: "IBM or Amiga?". You will get credit for your
modifications, everyone gets an Amiga version, and we are all
happy.