Re: License issue on tiny Javascript fragment
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Hi Anthony, Anthony W. Youngman wrote: >> to emails) and the code is so astonishingly trivial it's hard to see how >> it could possibly be re-implemented without it being the same code with >> different variable names. > > This is your clue. > > If this is true, the code has no copyright therefore there is no > problem. I'm not sure how you'd document it, but just put a reference to > them that says "assumes these snippets cannot be copyrighted because > they are too trivial. replace if required". > > I'm not sure how the Debian ftp-masters will take that, but if there > really is no other way of re-implementing it, then it truly is > unprotectable. It's precisely how to document it for ftp-masters that is worrying me. However, thanks very much for the input and clarification. CT. -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iEYEARECAAYFAkmOFTgACgkQ0SwfPjLnaZbFXACfX3+F8POxoOL3WJi78piU3pVV N/EAoNSyH6LmYf85gpOuTLIqDFxWJDkC =UIrk -END PGP SIGNATURE- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: License issue on tiny Javascript fragment
* Colin Turner [090207 14:43]: > The problem I have is that the code is, like so much JS, sitting > available, apparently for general consumption on several websites. I > have been unable to acquire a license from any of the authors (no reply > to emails) and the code is so astonishingly trivial it's hard to see how > it could possibly be re-implemented without it being the same code with > different variable names. > > Any guidance on what I should do? The functionality the code provides > (counting and capping characters in textareas) is quite useful and 1) The safe way: See what it does, describe someone else not knowing the code to write code doing this for you and use that code. 2) Do as in 1) but describe it to yourself. You should be really sure you'd write it that way even without knowing the code... 3) check if it is really trivial enough to not be protected by copyright laws. Note that most usual conditions to be elegible for copyright are waved for computer programs. (As almost every computer program would fail the non-triviality conditions for written texts, and compiled binaries the condition to be man-made). I guess checking this is quite complicated, as the different countries have different rules. The code really looks simply, but I do not know if any judge would agree that code that comes with multiple author information, contact information and comments can be deemed so trivial that it is without copyright. (so better ask some lawyer to be sure if you want to go this way). > losing it would probably cause dataloss in use of the application. What happens if javascript is disabled? Please make sure the application also works then (or at the very minimum, fails gracefully). Hochachtungsvoll, Bernhard R. Link -- "Never contain programs so few bugs, as when no debugging tools are available!" Niklaus Wirth -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: License issue on tiny Javascript fragment
In message <498d8af3.7030...@piglets.com>, Colin Turner writes Hi All, I hope you can help and advise on this issue. I am packaging a web application for Debian, I am also the principal upstream author. The code is generally GPL v2 PHP. Over the years the project inherited, from a side project, a small fragment of Javascript that has no explicit license. The problem I have is that the code is, like so much JS, sitting available, apparently for general consumption on several websites. I have been unable to acquire a license from any of the authors (no reply to emails) and the code is so astonishingly trivial it's hard to see how it could possibly be re-implemented without it being the same code with different variable names. This is your clue. Any guidance on what I should do? The functionality the code provides (counting and capping characters in textareas) is quite useful and losing it would probably cause dataloss in use of the application. If this is true, the code has no copyright therefore there is no problem. I'm not sure how you'd document it, but just put a reference to them that says "assumes these snippets cannot be copyrighted because they are too trivial. replace if required". I'm not sure how the Debian ftp-masters will take that, but if there really is no other way of re-implementing it, then it truly is unprotectable. Cheers, Wol -- Anthony W. Youngman - anth...@thewolery.demon.co.uk -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-legal-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
License issue on tiny Javascript fragment
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-
Hash: SHA1
Hi All,
I hope you can help and advise on this issue. I am packaging a web
application for Debian, I am also the principal upstream author. The
code is generally GPL v2 PHP. Over the years the project inherited, from
a side project, a small fragment of Javascript that has no explicit license.
The problem I have is that the code is, like so much JS, sitting
available, apparently for general consumption on several websites. I
have been unable to acquire a license from any of the authors (no reply
to emails) and the code is so astonishingly trivial it's hard to see how
it could possibly be re-implemented without it being the same code with
different variable names.
Any guidance on what I should do? The functionality the code provides
(counting and capping characters in textareas) is quite useful and
losing it would probably cause dataloss in use of the application.
CT.
Code follows...
// Dynamic Version by: Nannette Thacker
// http://www.shiningstar.net
// Original by : Ronnie T. Moore
// Web Site: The JavaScript Source
// Use one function for multiple text areas on a page
// Limit the number of characters per textarea
// Begin
function textCounter(field, count_field, limit)
{
if(field.value.length > limit)
field.value = field.value.substring(0, limit);
else
count_field.value = limit - field.value.length;
}
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Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org
iEYEARECAAYFAkmNivMACgkQ0SwfPjLnaZaiwACg3ImCStS5izO6jE3BFnOHQvOx
jf4An1eRFj4LLajOGXtZJtreigSrKh/9
=Is8p
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