GPL Legal Question

[eluser]BLymoth[/eluser]
Hello, I've been using CI for quite some time and find it to be a very helpful framework for development.

I was hired recently to write an application that will NOT be open source, and i was thinking of including some of the helpers found in CI to help me with my work (with full citation of course). For example, the xss cleaner is an amazing function that i would like to have.

However, i'm not sure of the legal implications. Since the code is under GPL, does that make my work under GPL as well? my employers dont want to use/be open source no matter how much i tried to convince them. What if the code is not being distributed and is only used for internal use, is that allowed by GPL?

Thanx

[eluser]Michael Wales[/eluser]
I can't think of very many sites out there that do release their source code... outside of BambooInvoice and those designed to be downloaded and installed on your own servers.

[eluser]CI jforth[/eluser]
GPL??

http://ellislab.com/codeigniter/user-guide/license.html

[eluser]Derek Allard[/eluser]
Yes, just to be clear, CodeIgniter is not GPL, but many apps built with it have been released under said license. As long as you adhere to the terms of the license, you are welcome to use CI for anything you wish.

[eluser]BLymoth[/eluser]
oh.. so it's not GPL!!! My bad, i should have read more carefully...

Anyway, thanx for the link to the license, I now know what i need

[eluser]Michael Wales[/eluser]
I'm not trying to fight anything CI says in it's license (I think everyone here can attest that I freaking love CI), but licenses have been proven to not be legally binding (at least in the US). So, even if it was "GPL" - who cares?

Licenses are nothing more than a scare tactic to influence you to obey certain predefined rules as defined by the publisher/developer.

[eluser]Derek Allard[/eluser]
Licenses are the terms that the developer wants you to abide by when they release their code. I can't believe that you would ask "who cares?". Um, I do. I think you'll agree that even if you can get away with something without legal consequence that does not make it "right".

Please abide by the license provided by CodeIgniter even if you don't think it's likely that we will sue you, or that we will win if we did. The fact of the matter is that it is our license.

[eluser]BLymoth[/eluser]
The reason i asked the question is because i want to respect you as developers for your effort. Like mentioned by Derek, it's rather easy to copy the code with no reference and it's highly unlikely that you will ever find out. But nevertheless, as a developer myself i can't expect people to respect my work, if i don't respect other people's work in return. If i find a license to be too restricting, the internet is filled with PHP solutions that i can choose from.

About copyrights being unenforceable, i remember reading a story on slashdot the past week about a company that violated the GPL and was dragged to court, they then settled the case or soemthing, didn't read that far into the article.

I do agree that licenses are an evil, but we don't live in a black and white world. Most of the time you need to find your way in all the gray to make it, i guess licenses are one of those gray spots in life. Good thing CI's license is pretty flexible.

[eluser]Michael Wales[/eluser]
Derek, I wasn't specifically targeting CodeIgniter, as CI's license is amazing. I have seen (and used) many applications though whose licenses were insanely restrictive. When it comes to those instances, sorry - but I don't care what your license says. In the same way as I will use Photoshop, and not pay $800 for it, I'm going to ultimately use a piece of released software in the way I deem it should be used.

I just read your blog post and I 100% do not agree with the actions taken by those people who simply rebranded and offered your work. That's definitely not fair. What I'm saying is, if BambooInvoice included a bit of text at the bottom of every page "created with BambooInvoice (url here)" (and it may, I don't know), guess what the first thing I'm ripping out is? Whether the license says I can or not, I personally feel it would appear unprofessional to present a client with an invoice that had that statement across the bottom.

Of course, I could go out in search of another software package that doesn't include this ego-statement, but what if I really love everything else about the application? What if this is the one thing holding me back? Do you really expect me to feel guilty about ripping it out and breaking the license?

Maybe it's just that I "acquire" everything I use, rather than pay for it, but I just don't have the "golden developer" act of goodness mentality...

I guess what I am really getting down to is, licenses should be fair, for the user and the company. Neither party should benefit from a license, the parties should remain neutral while protecting one another's rights and liabilities.

As mentioned above, ego-links are the thing that really get me. I hate them, with a passion, and Wordpress themes are the world's worst offenders. Maybe a theme site that offers themes without all of the ego- and sponsored-links...

[eluser]Rick Jolly[/eluser]
[quote author="walesmd" date="1191892460"]I have seen (and used) many applications though whose licenses were insanely restrictive. When it comes to those instances, sorry - but I don't care what your license says. In the same way as I will use Photoshop, and not pay $800 for it, I'm going to ultimately use a piece of released software in the way I deem it should be used[/quote]
Michael, you're advocating theft. If you think some software is too restrictive or expensive, you have 2 choices:
1) accept the restrictions/price
2) don't use it.
Anything else is illegal.

Do you shoplift? Do you rob banks? You could justify that as well: Those designer jeans are too expensive, so I'll take them. Banks are making huge profits at my expense through interest and service charges, so I'll take a little back.

You're probably not a shoplifter or a professional thief, because there are serious consequences. IMO, the only difference between physical and digital theft are the risk and consequences.