Thread: releasing software for free in way that does not fall under gnu/other license?

  1. #1
    Don't be a jerk.
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Snowball Arkansas
    Posts
    11

    releasing software for free in way that does not fall under gnu/other license?

    How would i release something free of any license?
    Can i just make my own terms without any copyleft/right bull***?
    I really don't want the 2 tons of text that gnu makes you include with everything.
    What if the terms i want to go by are more like"look, i made it originally, but here is how i did it. you can use it as is, do what ever you want with it, including claim it as your own. I DON'T CARE."??

  2. #2
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    28,413
    You can try and place your code in the public domain, like the case for SQLite. However, as mentioned on that page, there are some caveats.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  3. #3

  4. #4
    Don't be a jerk.
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Snowball Arkansas
    Posts
    11

    ...but that is STILL a license...

    ... which is why i have been working on this, to include with everything i release.
    This work is not licensed under any license of any sort, and comes with no warranty, guarantee, or
    promise of any kind, either expressed or implied.
    This work is not covered by any copyright law including but not limited to:
    "Copyright", "Copyleft", "Copyfree", "Copycenter" or any other form of any license.
    This work has been released by me, Rami Davis, the creator of this work, in whatever way I have seen
    fit. If the way that I have released this work causes it to fall under the public domain, I hereby
    allow this work to enter and remain in the public domain. Otherwise, this work, in its unaltered
    form as I have originally released it, shall remain both free of license and free of the public
    domain. I, Rami Davis, have no right to tell you what you can and / or cannot do with a copy of this
    work. Don't be a jerk. Ripping off the work of someone else is never the right choice.
    For information on the public domain, please reference this page:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain
    The public domain is different from one part of the world to the next.
    As such, the public domain may or may not apply, and your area / region / state / country may or may
    not consider this work to be in the public domain.
    This file is not a license.
    This would be included in a file along with the release. The general idea is that this file lets the downloader/user know that the release is not under any form of license (which the WTFPL is, and is even recognized as such by the F.S.F.), and in some areas of the world, to be considered public domain only where/when the way i choose to release it makes it public domain for/in that area.
    Last edited by ramidavis; 01-28-2013 at 01:06 AM.

  5. #5
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    28,413
    Quote Originally Posted by ramidavis
    This work is not licensed under any license of any sort, and comes with no warranty, guarantee, or
    promise of any kind, either expressed or implied.
    This work is not covered by any copyright law including but not limited to:
    "Copyright", "Copyleft", "Copyfree", "Copycenter" or any other form of any license.
    Legally, you may have no say over whether your work is or is not covered by copyright law. Consequently, if your work is under copyright, then by saying that there is no license, then indeed there is no license, i.e., your right to copy, distribute, etc, is not licensed to anyone else, hence anyone doing such activities would be guilty of copyright infringement, even though you obviously won't be coming after them for that. As such, I think the SQLite approach of saying that you "dedicate any and all copyright interest in this code to the public domain" keeps things simple to avoid this.

    Of course, I am not a lawyer; this is not legal advice.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Posts
    1,066
    Quote Originally Posted by ramidavis View Post
    This would be included in a file along with the release. The general idea is that this file lets the downloader/user know that the release is not under any form of license
    Nowadays copyright is granted automatically to creative works in most countries. Thus if you want to waive your rights you have to tell so and that's why you need some kind of license.

    Whether you write your own or use an existing one is up to you. But saying "This file is not a license." is exactly the opposite of your intention (and contradicts the rest of your text).

    Bye, Andreas

  7. #7
    Master Apprentice phantomotap's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    5,108
    O_o

    News flash buddy: your intent doesn't imply a legally sound document.

    Soma

Popular pages Recent additions subscribe to a feed

Similar Threads

  1. should education use free software?
    By doubleanti in forum General Discussions
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 07-13-2010, 12:16 PM
  2. new license-free lock-free data structure library published
    By Toby Douglass in forum Projects and Job Recruitment
    Replies: 19
    Last Post: 12-22-2009, 02:33 AM
  3. Open Software License 3.0 Explained
    By laserlight in forum A Brief History of Cprogramming.com
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 01-08-2008, 08:10 PM
  4. Borland License and commercial software
    By jester in forum Windows Programming
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 12-30-2001, 09:46 AM