Alex_S Posted April 27, 2006 Posted April 27, 2006 Hi all. I have some software that I do not wish to publish under GPL. This software works as autonomous but with some add-ons it can feed from an osCommerce database. For example some Flash movie clips I created, use external files to know what images to show. If I build an add-on for osCommmerce, they could use its database instead. Another example is some template systems that work almost the same way. My question is.. how legal is this? Especially taking into account that the original Flash movie clips, or templates, are not GPL. Do I need to request permission from the osCommerce team? Generally, what happens in such cases?
boxtel Posted April 27, 2006 Posted April 27, 2006 Hi all. I have some software that I do not wish to publish under GPL. This software works as autonomous but with some add-ons it can feed from an osCommerce database. For example some Flash movie clips I created, use external files to know what images to show. If I build an add-on for osCommmerce, they could use its database instead. Another example is some template systems that work almost the same way. My question is.. how legal is this? Especially taking into account that the original Flash movie clips, or templates, are not GPL. Do I need to request permission from the osCommerce team? Generally, what happens in such cases? you have to ask permission (in writing) from all members of these forums (you have mine). Treasurer MFC
Alex_S Posted April 27, 2006 Author Posted April 27, 2006 you have to ask permission (in writing) from all members of these forums (you have mine). boxtel thank you for your support. I understand the logic of your answer, but it is not realistic to get so many permissions.
Alex_S Posted April 28, 2006 Author Posted April 28, 2006 I think I found an answer after reading more carefully the GPL. I am posting it as a request for your comments. The software that I describe an autonomous (the Flash clip for example) is a work not derived from osCommerce, therefore completely independent. The add-on is a work (partially) based on osCommerce, therefore must be published under GPL.
Guest Posted April 28, 2006 Posted April 28, 2006 I think I found an answer after reading more carefully the GPL.I am posting it as a request for your comments. The software that I describe an autonomous (the Flash clip for example) is a work not derived from osCommerce, therefore completely independent. The add-on is a work (partially) based on osCommerce, therefore must be published under GPL. Good stuff! Its nice to see people do their homework :) Matti
Alex_S Posted April 28, 2006 Author Posted April 28, 2006 Good stuff! Its nice to see people do their homework :) Matti Thank you Matti. My question involves many different projects, some of them will hopefully be very popular. So I need to be crystal clear against license issues.
boxtel Posted April 28, 2006 Posted April 28, 2006 I think I found an answer after reading more carefully the GPL.I am posting it as a request for your comments. The software that I describe an autonomous (the Flash clip for example) is a work not derived from osCommerce, therefore completely independent. The add-on is a work (partially) based on osCommerce, therefore must be published under GPL. well, I was being a little ironic because the entire GPL discussions around php are nonsense, irrelevant and futile. if you wish to supply a product which is written in a compiled language like C or pascal then you can have the relevant discussion whether you should or shouldn't supply the source code in addition to the executables. However, when your product consists of an interpreted language like php, your executables ARE the source code and your source code IS the executable, as such you cannot supply the product without supplying the source code. So under whichever licence you wish to publish that php source code is a non-issue. Treasurer MFC
Alex_S Posted April 28, 2006 Author Posted April 28, 2006 My worries regard the ownership of particular scripts. GPL also makes provisions for the source code, but as you say, PHP gives the source anyway, so this aspect of GPL is irrelevant.
cannuck1964 Posted April 28, 2006 Posted April 28, 2006 However, when your product consists of an interpreted language like php, your executables ARE the source code and your source code IS the executable, as such you cannot supply the product without supplying the source code. So under whichever licence you wish to publish that php source code is a non-issue. Not true, if the PHP code is GPL then it can not be encrypted, while a propreitory PHP code base can be encrypted. While this encryption maybe beatable, if GPL it can not be made so. If encrypted, then the code is not readily available to users, and if GPL then this would be a breach of the GPL license. cheers, Peter M. Peter McGrath ----------------------------- See my Profile (click here) for more information and to contact me for professional osCommerce support that includes SEO development, custom development and security implementation
boxtel Posted April 28, 2006 Posted April 28, 2006 Not true, if the PHP code is GPL then it can not be encrypted, while a propreitory PHP code base can be encrypted. While this encryption maybe beatable, if GPL it can not be made so. If encrypted, then the code is not readily available to users, and if GPL then this would be a breach of the GPL license. cheers, Peter M. Still need reading glasses I guess. and now I am quoting: In fact, "encrypting" isn't exactly the right word for it, because it's not encryption... the PHP engine does not decrypt it to execute it. Compiling the code is a better term. Treasurer MFC
cannuck1964 Posted April 28, 2006 Posted April 28, 2006 and now I am quoting: QUOTE In fact, "encrypting" isn't exactly the right word for it, because it's not encryption... the PHP engine does not decrypt it to execute it. Compiling the code is a better term. Quoting what? And yes there are encryption technologoies available for PHP scripts. And no I do not need reading glasses, might be you should read what you type first before hitting the submit button. They may compile the script, but it is encrypted, since you can not edit or modify this without unencryption of the file (s) there are several well know providers of this technology and they too describe it as encryption, and not compiled so go argue with them that they are wording their descriptions incorrectly ;) You stated that it does not matter how the PHP is released (ie as an executable or source code), which is simply not true....try to compile (encrypt) the osC code and release it and see how far you get with that idea... Peter McGrath ----------------------------- See my Profile (click here) for more information and to contact me for professional osCommerce support that includes SEO development, custom development and security implementation
boxtel Posted April 30, 2006 Posted April 30, 2006 Quoting what? And yes there are encryption technologoies available for PHP scripts. And no I do not need reading glasses, might be you should read what you type first before hitting the submit button. They may compile the script, but it is encrypted, since you can not edit or modify this without unencryption of the file (s) there are several well know providers of this technology and they too describe it as encryption, and not compiled so go argue with them that they are wording their descriptions incorrectly ;) You stated that it does not matter how the PHP is released (ie as an executable or source code), which is simply not true....try to compile (encrypt) the osC code and release it and see how far you get with that idea... Let me help you : http://www.allaboutvision.com/over40/readers.htm Treasurer MFC
cannuck1964 Posted April 30, 2006 Posted April 30, 2006 Let me help you : http://www.allaboutvision.com/over40/readers.htm If you wish to be a funny person be my guest, your thoughts about Open Source, and PHP and what is and is not allowed leave me laughing , and I am sure other who read that : So under whichever licence you wish to publish that php source code is a non-issue. know it for the as joke as well, why not spend your time learning before trying to make a joke about someones eye sight when you yourself can not even read well... Peter McGrath ----------------------------- See my Profile (click here) for more information and to contact me for professional osCommerce support that includes SEO development, custom development and security implementation
Guest Posted May 2, 2006 Posted May 2, 2006 well, I was being a little ironic because the entire GPL discussions around php are nonsense, irrelevant and futile. if you wish to supply a product which is written in a compiled language like C or pascal then you can have the relevant discussion whether you should or shouldn't supply the source code in addition to the executables. However, when your product consists of an interpreted language like php, your executables ARE the source code and your source code IS the executable, as such you cannot supply the product without supplying the source code. So under whichever licence you wish to publish that php source code is a non-issue. The discussions are not futile at all - you dont seem to be aware that it is possible to create a derived work in an entirely different language from the original - if its derived from GPL code (in whatever language to whatever language) then the new work must be GPL and its sources released :) Matti
Alex_S Posted May 2, 2006 Author Posted May 2, 2006 The discussions are not futile at all - you dont seem to be aware that it is possible to create a derived work in an entirely different language from the original - if its derived from GPL code (in whatever language to whatever language) then the new work must be GPL and its sources released :) Matti ... or a SAPI module... I didn't think of that either. :rolleyes:
Guest Posted May 14, 2006 Posted May 14, 2006 FWIW, There is licensing software available from a few vendors that allows you to embed encoded PHP in an otherwise open-ish (as in readability, not licensing) software project. The end result can be that most of the PHP files are humanly readable, but a few are encoded and needs the server encoding modules to decode it. Yes, you can have a PHP project and not allow the site administrator to see _all_ of the code. -jared
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