User forums > General (but related to Code::Blocks)
uiVersal Builder???
JGM:
Thats why I don't believe in the GPL license as a form of business or protection to the author :( GPL is more an easy business for others than the authors. Many companies start making revenue of GPL software and the real authors behind the software doesn't even earn a penny for the work. Many start selling the gpl software like cedega, the company that ripped off wine project. Start making revenue and the people who worked hard, what they get or what they can do? Nothing!!!!
By the other hand is great to have so many software at our disposal thanks to communities of programmers but it is no way of making business. Mysql is GPL, but in order to make some revenue they needed to create a commercial license for people that doesn't want to distribute the part of their code that is using the mysql api. Also qt does the same thing.
Imagine you working by yourself as a programmer trying to make a living out of it. You make a software for a company that cost about $3000 using gpl. They share the software with other company and give the source also then this company makes the same thing, in no time you are gonna see all the thousands of dollars you could earned from it, but hey we have to respect our client rights and gave them the source, but does they respect our rights, do they have any consideration with the programmer noooo :x. I would think twice before making all my software GPL. Oh lets make money from support, yeah right!! any company can take your software and sell support too is not against the GPL license as also they can sell the binaries while they give the source code.
Some times I think gpl degrades a programmers work to make it look like a cheap task. I think that we programmers are artist, Scientific and Architects that discover and build one of the most important things on live, to make everybody's life much easier, but people don't want to pay for it, contrary to that they want to explode us, we that study so much to be able to do what we do. Is ridiculous that any one can take your software and sell it while they also give the source code. In my opinion GPL has a dark side also.
When the money doesn't exist then anything could be free or interchangeable, but for now not everything could be free since we need those green papers (or whatever color) and coins to survive in this hard world ( we also need to pay our bills :x ).
Edit
The person seems to know what is doing check this out:
http://www.uiversalbuilder.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=UB10WIN&Show=ExtInfo
The person is selling some custom components under a custom license and the ide kept it as GPL
--- Quote ---universal Builder IDE license agreement
============================
This program is licensed under the terms
of the GNU General Public License version 3
Available online under:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html
--- End quote ---
thomas:
--- Quote from: rcoll on September 03, 2008, 11:42:08 pm ---If his "universalBuilder" causes some harm to a paying customer, you (as author) might be held responsible.
--- End quote ---
Not going to happen, no matter how hungry the lawyers are.
The Code::Blocks application is licensed under the GPL, which excludes indemnity among other things. We have not, do not, and will not agree to other license terms. The uiVerval guy and his customers are bound by this license whether they want it or not, regardless of the fact that he is commiting a crime.
The idea of sueing the authors is comparable to the idea of accusing the CEO of General Motors of bank robbery and murder, because some criminals stole a car, robbed a bank, killed someone, and used the vehicle as getaway car - despite the label "do not use for bank robberies" that's clearly visible in the windscreen.
--- Quote ---Edit
The person seems to know what is doing check this out:
http://www.uiversalbuilder.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=UB10WIN&Show=ExtInfo
The person is selling some custom components under a custom license and the ide kept it as GPL
--- End quote ---
Except the only "extra components" that are visible are the ones made by Byo. And except he claims that "everything" is his copyrighted work at a different location. And except it says you may not use the package (which includes Code::Blocks) on more than 2 PCs.
JGM:
--- Quote from: thomas on September 04, 2008, 09:51:39 am ---Except the only "extra components" that are visible are the ones made by Byo. And except he claims that "everything" is his copyrighted work at a different location. And except it says you may not use the package (which includes Code::Blocks) on more than 2 PCs.
--- End quote ---
I think that this person is going to use the excuse that:
--- Quote ---* uiversal Builder components include the uiversal Builder installer, the uiversal Builder Help program, including any help contents developed by Central Telecommunications, INC. (e.g. uiversal Builder Tutorials, FAQs, Help files, etc.), and the uiversal Builder uninstaller.
* You may use uiversal Bulider components on up to 2 machines.
* You agree not to share the uiversal Builder components or anyone else's uiversal Builder components.
--- End quote ---
So he is going to say that the only components are the ones made by him and that he is willing to share the IDE and plugins source on demand since he also wrote
--- Quote ---uiversal Builder IDE license agreement
============================
This program is licensed under the terms
of the GNU General Public License version 3
Available online under:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html
--- End quote ---
So guys study the case deeply
dmoore:
--- Quote from: JGM on September 04, 2008, 07:35:20 am ---Thats why I don't believe in the GPL license as a form of business or protection to the author :( GPL is more an easy business for others than the authors. Many companies start making revenue of GPL software and the real authors behind the software doesn't even earn a penny for the work.
--- End quote ---
The GPL is as protective as any other license. The only remedy for copyright/licensing violations is the legal system.
--- Quote ---Many start selling the gpl software like cedega, the company that ripped off wine project. Start making revenue and the people who worked hard, what they get or what they can do? Nothing!!!!
--- End quote ---
actually, cedega took the source of wine before wine was GPLed.
--- Quote ---By the other hand is great to have so many software at our disposal thanks to communities of programmers but it is no way of making business. Mysql is GPL, but in order to make some revenue they needed to create a commercial license for people that doesn't want to distribute the part of their code that is using the mysql api. Also qt does the same thing.
--- End quote ---
the GPL is very much a part of the success of those products
--- Quote ---Imagine you working by yourself as a programmer trying to make a living out of it.
--- End quote ---
the GPL is not a cure-all for all businesses. it's best suited to software that's part of a platform or eco-system that can be monetized. the free nature of the software is the hook for users.
--- Quote --- You make a software for a company that cost about $3000 using gpl. They share the software with other company and give the source also then this company makes the same thing, in no time you are gonna see all the thousands of dollars you could earned from it, but hey we have to respect our client rights and gave them the source, but does they respect our rights, do they have any consideration with the programmer noooo :x.
--- End quote ---
if they aren't copying the source, no license can protect you. only patents can offer protection over concepts.
--- Quote ---Some times I think gpl degrades a programmers work to make it look like a cheap task. I think that we programmers are artist, Scientific and Architects that discover and build one of the most important things on live, to make everybody's life much easier, but people don't want to pay for it, contrary to that they want to explode us, we that study so much to be able to do what we do. Is ridiculous that any one can take your software and sell it while they also give the source code. In my opinion GPL has a dark side also.
--- End quote ---
it's horses for courses. the point of open source software is to share a tool or a common architecture, which prevent devs getting bogged down in reinventing the wheel over and over.
--- Quote from: thomas on September 04, 2008, 09:51:39 am ---
--- Quote from: rcoll on September 03, 2008, 11:42:08 pm ---If his "universalBuilder" causes some harm to a paying customer, you (as author) might be held responsible.
--- End quote ---
Not going to happen, no matter how hungry the lawyers are.
--- End quote ---
also helps that the project and its devs are based outside of the US and, hence, out of the jurisdiction of the crazy US legal system.
--- Quote from: JGM on September 04, 2008, 04:05:36 pm ---So he is going to say that the only components are the ones made by him and that he is willing to share the IDE and plugins source on demand since he also wrote
--- Quote ---uiversal Builder IDE license agreement
============================
This program is licensed under the terms
of the GNU General Public License version 3
Available online under:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html
--- End quote ---
--- End quote ---
yes, it isn't at all clear that he's in gross violation of the GPL, although he's a bad sport for not stating the source of the IDE on his web-site and/or submitting any bug fixes/patches upstream. Arguably his installer script could be considered a part of the "corresponding source" as per the gpl and, hence cannot be subject to any nonGPL restrictions. Also noticeably absent from the license list on his product page at http://www.uiversalbuilder.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=UB10WIN&Show=ExtInfo was the code::blocks license (Mandrav, perhaps you should make sure the notice lists all copyright holders if you want that attribution for the team in the future). Other than that and so long as he provides all sources with the binaries to anyone that buys he should be in good shape.
rcoll:
The idea of sueing the authors is comparable to the idea of accusing the CEO of General Motors of bank robbery and murder, because some criminals stole a car, robbed a bank, killed someone, and used the vehicle as getaway car - despite the label "do not use for bank robberies" that's clearly visible in the windscreen.
Er ... you don't live in the U.S., so perhaps you don't know ... but something very similar to that happened a few years ago.
1) Bartenders are held responsible if one of their customers drinks too much and has a car accident AFTER they have left the bar; and
2) Same thing for car rental companies, if one of their customers commits a crime using a rental car; and
3) Gun manufacturers may be held responsible if someone commits a crime using a gun (this one is still in the courts, I believe).
There are many more examples, but they make my stomach hurt to think about them.
The chances of this "universal" guy getting sued by a customer is pretty slim (he is using C::B, after all), but still, you probably don't want to take any chances. Don't count on that GPL license meaning much in count. Not in THIS country.
Ringo
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