[Framers] OT: Copyright rules for scripts

[Rick Quatro]

I answered Klaus offlist, but I usually add a copyright notice to my scripts
to discourage someone from reselling them as is or posting them for free.
However, I fully expect that someone may want to reuse parts of the script
in their own scripts and that is completely acceptable. Some clients
purchase custom scripts to give them a head start on learning to write their
own. I know that some people feel that software should be "free" but since
writing scripts is how I make my living, I add a copyright to give me a
little protection. In practice, it has rarely been a problem since most of
them are custom and applicable to very specific workflows. For non-custom,
general-purpose scripts, I will generally compile them to protect the
source-code.

Rick

Rick Quatro
Carmen Publishing Inc.
585-366-4017
rick at frameexpert.com




-----Original Message-----
From: Framers
[mailto:framers-bounces+rick=rickquatro.com at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf
Of Craig Ede
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2016 6:50 PM
To: framers
Subject: Re: [Framers] OT: Copyright rules for scripts

If you purchased the script and it has a copyright notice in it, it is
reasonable to assume that the writer of the script expects to be compensated
for the script. I would not use it inside your own script unless you work
out a way to compensate the original script writer as well. (And you can
assume they don't want it given away free, but you could ask.)

However, copyright covers the expression of an idea, not the idea. So you
can freely use the concepts of a script to accomplish the same task.

That is a slippery concept. You can't simply change the variable names to
"reexpress" the script. At the same time, you can do the same things, just a
bit differently and in a different order and be safe, I think, since there
are only so many ways to code a loop, etc.

This is why script writers sometimes "compile" their scripts into some other
non-text form so that you can't see what concepts they have used. The ones
that leave this transparent are being generous, but not to the point of
wanting you to steal their particular code.

Good luck,

Craig
Copyright rules for scripts are the same as other copyrights. Nothing
special for scripts.