home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
EuroCD 3
/
EuroCD 3.iso
/
Utilities
/
Workbench
/
MagicWB2.1p
/
Documents
/
Authors.readthis
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1998-06-24
|
4KB
|
89 lines
This text is addressed to:
-------------------------
All authors of MagicWB add-on packages (icon sets)
All authors of public domain/freeware/shareware/commercial
software that use parts of MagicWB (icons, patterns, colors)
to enhance the appearance of their distribution
-------------------------------- N O T E ---------------------------------
In this same directory you will find a text file called MagicWB.readme and
its dedicated icon. By releasing your package (e.g. uploading your archive
to Aminet) you are obliged to include this text and its icon unaltered in
the ROOT directory of your distribution.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Background
----------
The copyrights of the graphics and sub-elements of altered MagicWB icons
remain intact and are (c) copyrighted 1992-97 by Martin Huttenloher. Fact
is that lately I have seen too many icon sets emerging on Aminet which use
so many elements from the original MagicWB archive, that they could only be
described as blatant rip-offs. Generally, I reserve my right to remove
these packages and cease their distribution.
Although many authors stress their own copyrights, I might add that as long
as elements (colors, templates and graphical objects) of MagicWB are used
and recycled, individual copyrights (for MagicWB add-ons) are void. This
also means you are not allowed to sell or donate your package. Strictly
speaking you are not even allowed to publish these packages, since they
violate the copyrights of MagicWB.
If this may put you off a little bit, don't be worried. I just wanted to
make this legal issue clear. Now, in practice I have never been keen to
prosecute any violations of my copyrights done by freeware authors. In
fact I do support and tolerate these add-on packages in the public domain
scene. I do prosecute commercial exploitation of my work, though.
But as long as you offer your work for free, ensure my copyrights by
including the aforementioned MagicWB.readme text with its icon in the root
directory of your distribution, and as long as the majority of your icons
are no simple copy & paste operations but introduce new and creative
elements, you must not worry that your distribution is going to be ceased
and removed from Aminet.
Through the establishment of MagicWB there has been a great demand for some
special and exotic icons that individual users need now and then. I
realized that these special wishes are to be satisfied with those add-on
packages, so you are also a help to support other MagicWB users through
this work. That is the main reason why I do not restrict the creative
freedom to make these icons available to the public, since we all benefit
from it.
Checklist of what can be done wrong:
- If you sell a commercial software package with MagicWB elements and did
not contact me in advance to ask for permission, you are violating §7 of
the MagicWB copyright license. I already have and will prosecute such
violations.
- Packages that do include original MagicWB fonts, patterns, dock-images or
binaries will be removed instantly.
- Packages that majorly consist of original or slightly altered (template)
MagicWB icons are prone to be removed.
That's about it. I never stressed this copyright issue before. But as
most people don't read or understand copyright licenses and since more and
more uploaders abused the freedom I passively gave to them, I deemed it
appropriate to address this topic here. Stick to the rules and include the
MagicWB.readme and everything will be fine.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Martin Huttenloher, June 1997