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diff --git a/pipermail/nel/2001-February/000235.html b/pipermail/nel/2001-February/000235.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..bb9a5344 --- /dev/null +++ b/pipermail/nel/2001-February/000235.html @@ -0,0 +1,105 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> +<HTML> + <HEAD> + <TITLE> [Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</TITLE> + <LINK REL="Index" HREF="index.html" > + <LINK REL="made" HREF="mailto:archer%40nevrax.com"> + <LINK REL="Previous" HREF="000226.html"> + <LINK REL="Next" HREF="000234.html"> + </HEAD> + <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> + <H1>[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</H1> + <B>Vincent Archer</B> + <A HREF="mailto:archer%40nevrax.com" + TITLE="[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.">archer@nevrax.com</A><BR> + <I>Tue, 20 Feb 2001 15:55:20 +0100</I> + <P><UL> + <LI> Previous message: <A HREF="000226.html">[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</A></li> + <LI> Next message: <A HREF="000234.html">[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</A></li> + <LI> <B>Messages sorted by:</B> + <a href="date.html#235">[ date ]</a> + <a href="thread.html#235">[ thread ]</a> + <a href="subject.html#235">[ subject ]</a> + <a href="author.html#235">[ author ]</a> + </LI> + </UL> + <HR> +<!--beginarticle--> +<PRE>Well, you summarised my summaries... + +According to Sal: +><i> If I'm not mistaken, the things that define your game would mostly be +</I>><i> located in serverside databases. Yes any modification to the server _code_ +</I> +There are probably a few minor code modifications, required to support +very specific rules (if you want to run elections, the code for booths +and all that is probably hard code). But, if we've done our design right, +most of a MMORPG design should be a matter of fiddling data. + +><i> I'm pretty sure these databases would not be covered by the GPL. All +</I>><i> that people could 'steal' would be your binaries. And that does not mean +</I>><i> they can carbon-coby your game. Your rules, mapfiles, plot, etc. could all +</I>><i> be copywritten material. +</I> +Not "could". Is. It's automatic and non-debatable. When you write it, +it is automatically covered by copyright, and you have to explicitely +put it in the public domain (which is not *that* easy). With the +provision about plot; as I explained before, a plot cannot be +copyrighted, while specifics are. You can't copyright "evil arch-villain +wants to overthrow king", you can only copyright "Mezzo Kharkan wants +to overthrow king Ariflax". + +(hmmm, if I have infringed some copyright here, it's purely unintentional, + and was only for purpose of citation. Honest) + +><i> I think 'derivitive works' pertains to modifications of the Nel codebase +</I> +In the GPL text, yes. Derivative works refer to code. GPL says exactly +nothing about data, so it's not covered by the license. + +><i> Say I downloaded the binaries for Everquest's client and server (imagine +</I>><i> they were GPLed). I still could not create an 'Everquest' game and put them +</I>><i> out of business, I would need to create an exact copy of all their media, I +</I>><i> would also have to mimic their ruleset, copy their maps, etc. And doing all +</I>><i> that would be illegal, since its all copywritten material. +</I> +That's a good example. However (assuming Everquest code was GPL), once +you'd produced a set of player and NPC models, and made a few zone files +under a 3D modeller, and created your own items, you'd be able +to launch Realquest. + +And try to put them out of business :) + +><i> Where you're mistaken is that the GPL doesnt force you to distribute +</I>><i> _everything_ for free. Just the material that is covered under the GPL, +</I>><i> which would be, the source code to the binaries... and the source to any +</I>><i> libraries used in conjunction with them. +</I> +By FSF's own admission, the source of any library "not commonly available +with the system". Otherwise, we'd have to provide the Nvidia OpenGL driver +sources if we wanted to run our game on a Nvidia-equipped PC :) + +-- +Vincent Archer Email: <A HREF="mailto:archer@nevrax.com">archer@nevrax.com</A> + +Nevrax France. Off on the yellow brick road we go! + +</pre> + + + + +<!--endarticle--> + <HR> + <P><UL> + <!--threads--> + <LI> Previous message: <A HREF="000226.html">[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</A></li> + <LI> Next message: <A HREF="000234.html">[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</A></li> + <LI> <B>Messages sorted by:</B> + <a href="date.html#235">[ date ]</a> + <a href="thread.html#235">[ thread ]</a> + <a href="subject.html#235">[ subject ]</a> + <a href="author.html#235">[ author ]</a> + </LI> + </UL> +</body></html> |