[Goober5000]

*agrees with Inquisitor*

Copyright (C) Volition, Inc. 1999.  All rights reserved.

All source code herein is the property of Volition, Inc. You may not sell or otherwise commercially exploit the source or things you created based on the source.

It seems to me that the server is something based on the source insofar as it interacts with the SCP clients.

If you want to maintain exclusive control over some aspect of the code, then keep it to yourself and put it in Ferrium, or something.  It's implicitly understood that fs2_open coders are working for the benefit of the whole FS2 community.  Reserving a particular module for yourself, when the codebase wasn't yours to begin with, violates the concept of open source.

And this isn't even open source.  I'm pretty sure that Volition would be within their rights to reassert exclusive claim over the code and incorporate whatever features we added into future games of theirs.  It would be good public relations to ask us first, but legally they aren't obligated to.

[aldo_14]

I would hope it doesn't become necessarry to either agree licensing terms or usage contracts with every SCP addition or coder/contributor.....

[StratComm]

I actually think that Volition would be just as far outside the law in incorperating and using SCP code and selling it as a game as the SCP would to try to burn and sell Freespace 2 CD's.  Would that necessarily stop a corperate entity from doing so?  Probably not.  But it doesn't mean it's within their rights to do so.

Also, doesn't the whole Interplay/Volition schism sort of rule out any sort of problem?  It's Interplay selling the game, but Volition who owns the code that is being modified.  Not exactly in either party's interest to mess with it.  If interplay decides they want to continue the Freespace series, they have to change its name and make it "unofficial", and the same goes for V.  What is discouraging is that this "limited run" of Freespace 2 CD's has basically removed the abandonware status from the game and made it near impossible to get ahold of again.

[Inquisitor]

No, Interplay/Volition are well within their rights to sell it. . It is a license to US from them, they hold the original intellectual property. Just like if Kazan released his server under a license like that, he retains the right to make money with it.

And I think a statement to the effect of "all code contributed..." will get added, so it's well understood that as a contributor, you're not leaving us with sticky licensing issues. When we started, it was pretty well accepted, the team has grown, so, it neeeds to be clearer on the part of the SCP as well.

I just want it to be clear, the last edict against Gamespy indicated a lack of clarity.

[Kazan]

YOU'RE MISSING WHAT I'M SAYING

The CLIENT CODE - ie THAT WHICH I STUCK IN THE GAME -- is under what ever freaking license Inquisitor wants --

the _SERVER_ IE FS2NETD [save the parts it has in common with the client code] is under what ever license I want -- so i can restrict access to the server code and prevent people from using it in ways which i find appauling

[Inquisitor]

I don't miss the point at all. re-read my posts please. It may be that some of the above have missed the subtleties, but I am not one of them.

You have (generously) gifted us with a component we need for multiplayer FS2 under the SCP. The server code is a seperate binary executeable. The client talks to the sever over a protocol that you implemented in the client (clearly free for us to use). The fact remains  that in order to use it, we have to talk to that server.

We're tied to it via the client. Without a free license to it, we're left in the same position we're in with PXO, something that we can't use if the creator deems our purpose "appalling" or otherwise innappropriate. The whole Gamespy issue is paranoid lunacy, but the fact that you can demand that we not use it in any way is totally against the principles of open source development. It's suppose to be free for everyone, yada yada.

So clarify the license. If you are going to bind us in some undetermined way, we won't use it no matter how good it is.  Right now, it's under a "Whatever Kazan Wants" License. Which is wholly unnacceptable. What part of that is unclear?

If you are afraid that someone will use it to make money, release it under the terms of the volition license. That preserves your rights to it, and porevents anyone making money from it.

Otherwise, GPL might be appropriate (but I find it too restrictive, believe it or not, that is another argument for another board) LGPL, or whatever.  Just not "WKW."

That's the point.

[J3Vr6]

Originally posted by Kazan
... so i can restrict access to the server code and prevent people from using it in ways which i find appauling

Like dressing it up in a shiny tootoo and feeding it berries?


In regards to the whole volition/interplay thing and whether who has rights to do what.  Volition may have designed and owns the code, but I'm sure they went into agreement with Interplay when they first agreed to the games that whether or not they continue a relationship with Interplay that Interplay has the rights to produce and release sequels to said game.  Maybe even including the use of the original code, modified by Interplay at their sole descretion.

[Inquisitor]

Kazan, it's clear that we need to talk about this real-time. Ping me please.