Software Lisence??

[albertlee]

If you make a program, how do you apply a software lisence??

[Dave]

You can make your own, or you can use one of the existing ones (for example, the GNU Public License). Depends on what type of license you want, and what things you want to put in it.

[albertlee]

But what's the advantage of having a lisence??

 

Do I have to register somewhere?

[Klaynos]

As far as I know you do not have to register it anywhere, it's just an agreement between yourself and the people using the software.

[Dave]

Indeed. It basically sets out the terms of use for the program. For example, if you were to release a load of code and just put it on the net with no copyright information and, more importantly, no license, then people are free to do whatever they want with it. I believe that they could sell the code off to other people and make money off of it. Licenses are just a way of protecting your programs from being misused.

[albertlee]

but, how do you know a program is licensed any way??

 

in another word, How do I lisence my program??

 

Albert

[Dave]

You need to obtain or write a license and have it accompany the files. If you're distributing code, then comments such as "This code is protected under the license included with these files" at the top don't go amiss either.

[albertlee]

But, is it really offically protected??

 

How about if the end users violate the rules??

[albertlee]

Any one??

[AtomicMX]

Well, its licence not lisence.

 

In the other hand if you develop a program, you create the licence you want.

If you use some standard licences like open source ones. Then this foundations may

help you in case of patent problems.

 

How about if the end users violate the rules??

If i understand this question right, then the answer is that you can sue the end user.

 

The licence is more like a consetion contract or something with rules.

As software is not precisely a product (for masses). then you can't sell it, what you do is to give premissions for use of the ones who have a end user licence.

 

For example microsoft can't really sue you for having 1000 copies of microsoft windows xp cd, because you argue that are for backup, but they can sue you by having one cd copy installed in 2 machines using the same licence.