Hi David! On Thu, 28 Oct 2021 22:02:43 -0700 David Christensen <dpchr...@holgerdanske.com> wrote:
> On 10/25/21 12:41 PM, Andrea Tosoni wrote: > > Hello, > > > > Contributing to a FOSS project can be an exciting learning experience. :-) > > > You will want to create a distribution that the various Perl and CPAN > tools can understand. "Writing Perl Modules for CPAN" by Sam Tregar was > helpful back in the day: > > https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4302-1152-5 > do note https://perl-begin.org/topics/cpan/#preparing-dists which superseded it. > > I have always used ExtUtils::MakeMaker and h2xs(1) to create Perl > distributions: > > https://man.archlinux.org/man/core/perl/h2xs.1perl.en > > > Git seems to be the current, popular choice for version control. I use CVS. > > > GitHub seems to be the current, popular choice for collaboration and > support. I will need to convert to Git to utilize GitHub. > > > That's the fun stuff. Then there's the not-so-fun stuff -- legal. > Notably, intellectual property (IP) and data privacy. You do not want > to make a mistake here. > > > You will need to select a license. For Perl, the Artistic License is > traditional. But, there are examples of CPAN distributions with other > licenses. Note that "Public Domain" can be problematic. h2xs(1) > provides a POD license section in the main module that indirectly refers > to the Artistic License. To be pedantic, include a LICENSE file in the > root of your distribution. See: > > https://opensource.org/licenses > > https://opensource.org/licenses/Artistic-2.0 > See https://www.shlomifish.org/philosophy/computers/open-source/foss-licences-wars/rev2/#which-licence-same-as-perl . > > Do you have sole and complete ownership of everything you plan to > release? More directly: do you have the legal right to release the > software? > > > In the USA, where I reside, any document I create -- software, data, > this e-mail message, etc. -- is automatically copyrighted. But if I > wish to defend my copyright, I would be wise to submit a copy and file a > copyright application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office > (USPTO). > > > You mentioned your software in the context of a company. In the USA, if > I conceive, create, use, improve, etc., content in an employment or > consulting arrangement without a contract stating otherwise, then my > employer or client gains rights to all or part of that content. This is > called the "work for hire" principle. > > > Have you signed any contracts with your employer related to IP and/or > data privacy, such as a Confidential Disclosure Agreement, a > Non-Disclosure Agreement, an Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement, > etc.? Does your employer have any written policies regarding IP and/or > data privacy? > > > Have you reviewed the license for FrameMaker? > > > If others helped you with the software, or if you used their ideas > and/or content, then they could have a stake in the software. > > > Regarding data privacy, be aware of the Health Insurance Portability and > Accountability Act (HIPPA) (USA), the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, > and whatever laws apply in your country. > > > What is your strategy for liability of content within the release -- > e.g. unauthorized use of copyrighted content, unauthorized use of > patented processes, improper reverse engineering, etc.? Even if > everything is okay today, new patents, etc., may create violations in > the future. Have you heard of "patent trolls"? > > > You should discuss this with your employer. You or they may wish to > consult an attorney or legal service. > > > David -- Shlomi Fish https://www.shlomifish.org/ https://www.shlomifish.org/lecture/C-and-CPP/bad-elements/ Ariana Grande has one less problem *with* Chuck Norris. — https://www.shlomifish.org/humour/bits/facts/Chuck-Norris/ Please reply to list if it's a mailing list post - https://shlom.in/reply .
