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#1
September 27th, 2006, 03:25 PM
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Does anyone actually own this code??
We've all seen this before. A certain amount of php code is developed by a group of people on a forum.
Let's say there are 10-20 people involved. Someone starts with an idea or the core of the code. Others make minor contributions or major contributions. Some provide ideas that are acted upon by others. Can anyone claim ownership of the code? Does the person who contributed the core of the code own it? If so, what about the other contributors? Do minor contributors own a share? Can anyone who happens upon the code use it however they like? Does this code have a default type of license? Can it be packaged and marketed by the major contributor? A minor contributor? When you contribute to code on a forum, are you providing that code for anyone for any use? What sort of rules or etiquette apply? I see this situation all of the time, but I never see discussions about the above. What do you all think?
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#2
September 27th, 2006, 03:32 PM
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If you care about the rights to the code you contribute to a forum then don't contribute. You're basically putting it in the public domain when you do.
</end>
__________________
medialint.com "Energy has the opportunity to change the climate if it's done right." - Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. (quoted out of context)
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#3
September 27th, 2006, 03:42 PM
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You forfeit your rights to the code by posting it publicly. Besides, it's not like people are contributing to the next version of windows or anything.
__________________
If 'ifs' and 'buts' was beers and nuts we'd have a hell of a party. -James Carville
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#4
September 27th, 2006, 03:56 PM
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I'm personally inclined to agree with your posts.
If it were just as easy as posting code publicly, then wouldn't open source licenses have a problem? What about people who post code publicly and ask for a credit? On a forum, is there no ownership because no one asserts ownership? Because no one can enforce ownership? I'm not just trying to ask a bunch of goofy questions.  I'm trying to understand better.
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#5
September 27th, 2006, 04:19 PM
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Microsoft can feel free to use this in their next OS:
Code:
//contributed by TheJim01
Windows.OS.setOSName("Longhorn"); // way c00ler name than crappy "vista"
Windows.OS.setPrice(0.0);
Windows.OS.setMemoryHog(false);
__________________
Proud member of the T.S.N.B.U.F.L (tables should not be used for layout) alliance. "Only use elements for their intended purpose. You wouldn't try to make coffee with a telephone, would you?" -Me
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#6
September 27th, 2006, 07:38 PM
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The copyright of the code always belongs to the author, no matter where the code is published. What others can do with the code depends, though. Posting it in a public forum gives the code up to the public domain. Well, unless you're so inclined as to post every code snippet with a license, which you could do.
---John Holmes...
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#7
September 27th, 2006, 07:38 PM
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Moved from the Lounge to Business Help, where such discussion of copyright and intellectual property law should occur. Thanks.
__________________
~~ Peter ~~ ( My Blog: It's exactly like normal nerdiness, but completely different. ) :: ( Supporter of the EFF & FSF ) :: ( I'm a GNU/Linux addict and Free Software Advocate. ) :: ( How to Ask Questions the Smart Way ) :: ( The Fedora Project, sponsored by Red Hat ) :: ( GNOME: The Free Software Desktop Project ) :: ( GnuPG Public Key )
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#8
September 27th, 2006, 07:42 PM
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Quote:
That's exactly true. I said it basically falls into PD because 1. it hardly ever notes an author or copyright and 2. it's more often than not posted anonymously and 3. it would be almost impossible to get a legal ruling in your favor if you posted code on a forum and then tried to sue for copyright infringement.
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#9
September 27th, 2006, 07:46 PM
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@Tim, Re: your argument #1
Copyright ownership automatically is assigned to the creator of a work regardless of any copyright notice on that work. Such a copyright notice would serve to explicitly state and identify the creator(s) in question.
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#10
September 27th, 2006, 07:49 PM
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Quote:
I understand that. Now try proving it in court ;-) Unless you file the form everytime you make a post it's not going to work. That's what I'm saying. It also might not necessarilly apply to small snippets of code that 200 other people would come up with on their own as is the case of typical "example" code seen on forums like this. E.g. a "hello world" alert box ... technically I guess you could copyright it, but I don't think you could ever do anything with that. Further, I believe that many forum TOS stipulate that content you contribute belongs to the owner of the forum. So, in reality, you've forfeited it and it belongs to the forum. I know Yahoo has this exactly in their TOS. DS doesn't have this spelled out so clear. Last edited by medialint : September 27th, 2006 at 07:54 PM.
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#11
September 27th, 2006, 07:51 PM
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