Questions tagged [copyright]
For questions about the copyrighting process and principles. Questions solely pertaining to general copyright are off topic.
360 questions
4
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How to properly attribute other's people work on GitHub?
I have an open source project (under GPL license) that has some parts incorporated from other projects (that use MIT and GPL), and one of the provisions of both of these licenses is The above ...
- 51
0
votes
2
answers
334
views
Should I keep the old project's name in the copyright details after a fork?
So, given what i asked here, I was wondering if i should leave the old project's name after a fork, in the copyright detail in the code...
Essentially, I did it like so:
#Copyright 2015 by ....
#...
- 195
2
votes
1
answer
137
views
Dealing with multiple contributions in a 30+ years old software project
Context: I'm working on an old software project which dates back to 1988. I collaborate with its main author who created the program back then and originally published it under non-free license in the ...
- 65
9
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What should I do with the copyright details in a codebase when modifying it when it wasn't forked?
So essentially, I once downloaded some script off github, forgot about it, then thought "Why not modify it!" and thus now decided to push it to my github account...
Question is though, do i ...
- 195
-3
votes
2
answers
106
views
Free Office/Libre Office/Apache Office
How Free Office / Libre Office / Apache Office resembles Microsoft Office ?
Did they committed a breach of copyright and cheated Microsoft Office?
And, why till date, Microsoft is not taking any ...
- 1
7
votes
1
answer
259
views
Do you retain copyright in a project even if all your code has been rewritten?
If somebody has participated in an open source project, and has previously contributed several lines of source code but all those lines have now been completely rewritten and/or deleted so that all ...
- 71
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Can I use a logo (Image) from a GitHub repository with an MIT License?
Can I use a Logo (Image file) from Github Repository with an MIT License, without violating any copyright terms?
- 41
0
votes
1
answer
96
views
Where to disclaim multiple third-party copyrights in project?
I am building a software that in its theoretical form would use logos from several different financial companies to enhance user experience and identification. I intend to use their websites' favicons ...
- 193
1
vote
1
answer
258
views
What does "with modifications" mean in BSD licenses?
All BSD licenses start with the following paragraph:
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
...
- 485
2
votes
1
answer
46
views
How to opensource code while protecting the product that runs on it
I have a project that I would like to retain copyright over conceptually while releasing the prototype code. It's a novelty digital clock. I posted some videos of the prototype online and some people ...
3
votes
1
answer
299
views
Legal Aspects of Illustrations in Open Source Software (MIT License) - Adding Copyright Notice?
It's about an app that was created in a student project (in Germany) and will be soon released in the Google Play Store and also published on GitHub as OSS under the MIT license. The app features ...
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
In the BSD license, what does "redistribution" mean?
I'm trying to understand all the responsibilities of this license.
Does redistribution mean:
publicly placing a windows .exe using the BSD licensed library for users to download on a website(free and ...
- 51
10
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Excluding open-source contributions from work-for-hire
I'm doing contract work. I'm being asked to sign a standard (AFAICT) agreement that assigns all intellectual property I create to the employer. The context of this work is typical Python and Go ...
- 101
3
votes
1
answer
296
views
Definition of a modified code
It may seem to be a bit silly question, but I couldn't find a strict definition that would address my specific situation (I appreciate I'm not the first to experience it though).
There's a library ...
- 33
3
votes
1
answer
292
views
Can we modify LGPLv3 license based ERP and change the license to private?
My client wants to use an opensource ERP named Odoo. However modifications like name, UI and languages support would be required. Also the license need to be private onwards
If it is permissible under ...
- 31
4
votes
1
answer
440
views
Custom Linux distro Copyright and license notices
I am developing a commercial product that ships with a custom embedded Linux distro (similar to Yocto), and am in the process of collecting the copyright and license notices to comply with the GPL ...
- 151
0
votes
1
answer
187
views
Can a CLA be agreed to implicitly, like a license?
For license on software, users who download the software must abide by the license, usually in something like a LICENSE file. I don't need to ask them to fax me a signed document or anything.
For CLAs,...
- 113
2
votes
1
answer
73
views
What if a project forks a number of projects, but doesn't include the license or copyright that was used -- then another project forks the fork?
So it can be fairly established that this is infringement of copyright, but I'm unsure how to handle this. I've considered making a PR to the project that forked the other projects and adding the ...
- 23
1
vote
0
answers
35
views
Software license for non-commerical reproducible research [duplicate]
I am a researcher at a university with a guest status. I am not employed though and the work I do is my own. The software I develop belongs to me. For reproducible research I want to publish some of ...
- 119
3
votes
1
answer
481
views
Is it possible to license that header file to LGPL but implementation to proprietary license
Suppose someone is writing a proprietary software that uses a shared or dynamic library that is licensed under the GNU LGPL license. If he wants to change the LGPL library code, he make some functions ...
- 33
5
votes
1
answer
188
views
Copyright Transfer by License?
I am conflicted about the licensing for one of my projects. My goals for the license are very similar to the GPL, with one notable exception. I want to remain the sole copyright owner - to keep ...
- 151
2
votes
1
answer
76
views
Reusing the original idea of a project without mentioning it
I found a project that is very clever and I would like to build my own but using some of their ideas. That's basically what I did but now the code is similar, because we follow the same idea, but I ...
- 123
4
votes
1
answer
458
views
Can ActiveState forbid me to use python?
... there came one question up in my mind?
Can ActiveState forbid me to use python versions downloaded from this page https://www.python.org/downloads/?
Especially for Windows and Linux?
I ask, ...
- 141
3
votes
1
answer
162
views
Licensing for a physical product developed from MIT code
I have a developed a Book using outputs from parts of code from a MIT licence repository.
Where would I show or put the copyright licence? On the product? Or create a website?
Or because it is not ...
- 31
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Can I fork libstdc++ without disclaiming copyright for the modifications I make?
NOTICE: Not A duplicate of Am I allowed to add additional copyright on modified code that originally the FSF released under GPLv3:
The previous question answered if I'm allowed to copyright ...
- 75
2
votes
1
answer
159
views
GPL libraries on my software
I am attempting to write a Hobbyist OS and found that the CuteOS project is very useful for reference and libraries. The only issue is: it's under the GPLv2, and from my understanding if you use a ...
- 23
2
votes
1
answer
592
views
Am I allowed to add additional copyright on modified code that originally the FSF released under GPLv3
I've ported type_traits from GCC to AVR-GCC with some major modifications to the code structure, style, and used some boost implementations along with some of my own implementations and would like to ...
- 75
10
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Who will be the copyright owner of a new file in a forked repository on github?
Let's say there is a MIT Licensed repository on github, then by definition all the files that belongs to the repository is owned by the copyright holder of the repository.
But if I fork the project ...
- 219
2
votes
1
answer
103
views
Can I privately use copyrighted materials as test data for public projects?
Some time ago I started to develop a 'Sudoku Solver' using Python. Of course, there are many Sudoku solvers already available as open source projects, but I did not want to use any of those, because I ...
- 193
1
vote
2
answers
542
views
Licence for youtube captions
Youtube allows creation of auto-generated captions. What are they licensed as? Is it cc0 or can one use them outside the video or to provide a transcript to users after ADA compliance editing.
2
votes
0
answers
79
views
What does a web API entails if it's licensed under MIT? Do I have to credit the API if I use it in my app?
I have trouble understanding if a web api must be credited if it's under the MIT license. I'm technically only calling the API so I'm not modify the API code. It seems to my understanding that it is ...
- 121
2
votes
1
answer
99
views
Is this normal? Intermediate client is not willing to provide license terms and not willing that I appear as the author
An intermediate client (say software agency) requested me to develop a plugin for a popular system. She is selling this to the final client.
Full story is here in this other question: Can I publish a ...
- 319
1
vote
1
answer
186
views
Validity of agreement to Copyright/CLA via Pull Request merging with agreement text
I have contributed heavily to a open-source github repository and they are licensed under the CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license (Which isn't really an open-source license). Each of my contributions was merged ...
- 113
0
votes
1
answer
587
views
License description for repository that uses a template under MIT license
Assume that I use a template repository on GitHub (e.g., https://github.com/actions/typescript-action), make a tool, and publish it on GitHub under MIT license.
However, obviously I need to show the ...
- 189
5
votes
0
answers
271
views
Copyright considerations for using IEC standard in open-source code
I'd like to create an open-source database of electronic components and their standard, manufacturer-independent attributes. So, for example, a user could query the manufacturer part number for a ...
- 151
0
votes
1
answer
192
views
Is this MSDN code free for commercial use?
I found this article on the msdn magazine and would like to use the code included in there in a commercial program. Is this allowed?
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2017/october/...
user20656
4
votes
1
answer
792
views
How to sub-license a modified MIT licensed project as a copyright?
I searched for this question over the internet but with no success.
I got a MIT licensed python library and did my modifications to fit my necessities. I want this new version to be a copyright with ...
- 43
2
votes
2
answers
828
views
Is Microsoft in compliance with MIT license for .Net Core?
I noticed that Microsoft claims to apply an MIT license to their .NET core code, which appears to contain a variance:
Copyright (c) .NET Foundation and Contributors
Whereas the opensource.org MIT ...
- 33
3
votes
1
answer
858
views
Is the QWERTY keyboard layout proprietary?
Is the keyboard layout QWERTY proprietary? Can one use it in their own keyboard apps without buying a license? If no, are there any non-proprietary keyboard layouts?
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Can a company circumvent the freedom of distribution on GPL software for its employees or service providers?
This post contains various related questions, but I think it's needed to solve my doubts properly.
As far as I know if I can access a free software I have the freedom to run, study, modify and ...
- 263
1
vote
0
answers
83
views
Shapefiles in R maps package (GPL-2)
I hope this is the right forum for this question, I came her form stackoverflow. I would like to include some world maps in my academic publication. As the title suggests, I am working with the maps ...
- 111
3
votes
1
answer
742
views
How much changes to open source code is needed to remove the //Copyright (c) 2017 notice, or can it never be removed
As the question state. When using open source code and there is a // Copyright (c) 2017 xxxxx in the file.
I know I must keep the notice but if I change the code a bit or much do I always keep it or ...
- 131
6
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Is it OK to use unlicensed GitHub code in a thesis, by having explicit permission to do so?
I am writing my Master Thesis. I used code from GitHub for my application and did modifications and extended its functionality to adjust my requirements. I am also citing the code in my own code and ...
- 61
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Does every adaptation of a CC BY-SA work violate its terms?
I read somewhere (I cannot recall where) that licensing a work under a Creative Commons license (or any license, really) is like adding a second license on top of the "license" that ...
- 161
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How should copyright notices be included when distributing source of modified Apache 2.0 code commercially?
A company wants to distribute a product which includes a browser extension. A browser extension is implemented in JavaScript, so it's distributed in source code form.
Parts of extension are written by ...
- 335
2
votes
1
answer
231
views
Confused by html2canvas library's license
I was planning to use html2canvas
The license is really confusing to me, as it's never stated which parts are for Microsoft, which are not and if the whole code is licensed under MIT, as it also ...
- 195
5
votes
1
answer
232
views
Does learning boilerplate code from a project with a restrictive license make my own work derivative?
I have an application I want to put my own license on. In order to get my application started, I wrestled with boilerplate code issues I was not able to find answers for online. When I tried launching ...
- 53
2
votes
1
answer
51
views
Is it possible to use D3 word cloud on your (for profit) website for free?
I am trying to create a website using React, and I need to implement a word cloud.
Is the D3 word cloud free? I have read the LICENSE file, and it says it is protected by copyright. I am not sure I ...
- 121
2
votes
0
answers
35
views
If source code is only labelled "copyright" - what kinds of use, if any, are allowed? [duplicate]
The specific example I have in mind is the code posted along with a descriptive article at:
Lines with Arrows, Charles Petzold, April 18, 2007, New York, N.Y.
In the article it simply says:
© 2007, ...
- 121
4
votes
1
answer
56
views
How does copyright interact with licenses?
This came to my mind recently as I was thinking of releasing some code I wrote under a license.
The Xcode IDE automatically inserts the following at the top of new files:
//
// [filename]
// [...
- 143