On Sun, 24 Dec 2006 15:10:53 +1300, Andrew wrote in message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> Tatsuhiro San, > > thank you for the links....I now have a fantastic looking SU-26M > acrobatic plane in my hangar. It looks like it was converted from an > MSFS 2004 model, ..hang on a sec, _is_ it? It _is_ your work, Tatsuhiro-san? ..beautiful looks does not always come from Microsoft. Lecture follows: Microsoft has their own theories on both the GPL and copyright, they instead prefer to rely on "EULA" contracts, which is much easier to litigate if you're wrong but have big pockets, than the GPL and copyright law. ..unfortunately they have both the funds and manpower to litigate their theories on us. FG being a competitor to MSFS, it is reasonable to assume at least one of their 25,000 law sharks is monitoring us. So our best defense is stay _squeaky_ clean. ..so, when you Andrew states what you did on the Su-26M's looks, it is rasonable to check whether it is converted from Microsoft's Su-26M, or if it in fact is new work by Tatsuhiro-san under copyright law and his to license under whatever license he damned please, e.g. under the GPL. ..in the latter case FG and Tatsuhiro-san only needs to show the source and its copyright history, the copyright act itself and maybe case law samples and then have the Judge Spank Microsoft Out Of Court. ;o) ..In the former case, things get murkier, if it _is_ Microsoft's work, _they_ decide their licensing or contractual terms. ..ofcourse FG cannot _distribute_ Microsofts Su26M unless Microsoft itself puts it under the GPL. The GPL only concerns the conditions for lawful distribution, not the use of the code. ..break it, and the GPL suddenly becomes 'irrelevant' and "nothing else" stops the FBI etc copyright law enforcers coming after your ass. ;o) ..Microsoft-style "EULA" usually bans _all_ distribution, only the end user may aquire one copy, once, usually from an authorised vendor and they impose quite draconian and confusing contractual conditions for the end user's _use_ of their code, only one copy on one machine etc, complete with bold UPPERCASE lettering in a petite little scroll box to discourage reading the contractual terms and a big fancy button with a nice big "Ok." to accept the contract on your daughter's virginity or whatever you signed away when you clicked "Ok." on. ..so, FG _users_ "only" needs to check Microsoft's "EULA" to learn _whether_ we may legally use or even distribute their code. ..and this lil' lecture is just meant as an heads-up on licensing to prevent somebody's blunder and keep us squeaky clean, and plenty more discussion on this is where it and responses hereto belongs, in http://groklaw.net/ ;o) > full virual cockpit and everything......and flies brilliantly in FG. > > Dene, you need this one for the hangar!!!! > > Domo arigato! > > Andy > > > > > Hi, > > > > I summarize these URLs and some others that I know at a link page > > below: > > http://macflightgear.sourceforge.net/home/documents/aircraft-links/ > > > > Tat -- ..med vennlig hilsen = with Kind Regards from Arnt... ;o) ...with a number of polar bear hunters in his ancestry... Scenarios always come in sets of three: best case, worst case, and just in case. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys - and earn cash http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV _______________________________________________ Flightgear-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/flightgear-users
