[FREE] Images On Board

[eric1234]

Guys, I do hope that you guys will focus on creating a new wonderful solution for this instead of focus on the licencing issue. Although I understand that a person shall not be distributing the modified modification without a proper license or rights to do so. But then, he was just trying to help those who are in need. And I appreciate his kindness to share it with the rest of the people although he may have done something he suppose not to.

Rules and Laws have no life but we do have life and have a heart.

[Steve]

Well, sorry for sounding like that, but as can see, even YOU, quoted basically the same thing I said, so it seemed to me, that you did know it.

I just found out who you are (from another thread) and had I known that, I wouldn't have responded with such hostility. Not that we're particular friends or anything but you've done right by me (creating a couple of mods at my request) and I'll always thank you for that.

[Herman's Mixen]

I could write someting much better, the only issue are the licenses which are required the last couple of years... myself goes for full free stuff for whatever i should write... that's why i deleted al my mods from the past.. and should never release stuff to sites like this anymore !!

SMF has chosen to follow a path wich feels wrong to me ...

if the mod does not work for you, your stuck now period...

if you can code you can fix that

[Suki]

Allow me to clarify a few things.

SMF didn't chose any path. Copyright, as a form of protection to intellectual property has existed since the printer invention.

Copyright in software has existed since the very first program was made.


SMF DOES NOT confine mod authors to restrictive licenses, SMF does require mod authors to chose a license, any license, mod authors are FREE to chose whatever license suits their needs best, from completely closed source to public domain.

SMF has been requiring mod authors to chose a license for a short period of time, this means old mods didn't have to follow this requirement and thus, those mods do not explicitly states any license, on those cases, international copyright laws declare that any intellectual property without a specified license its AUTOMATICALLY covered  even without using an "all rights reserved" statement or a copyright symbol.  In other words, the mod author's copyright is fully protected.  This is not something SMF "chose" to apply.

You can still use a closed source mods for your own personal use, you can post changes to closed source mods, you can build a new mod based on the idea/concept of a proprietary mod providing you aren't using any of the original code.

The only thing you can't do is redistribute a closed source mod or take ownership/claim copyrights on a closed source modification.


It is important to fully understand that SMF only requires a license BUT that DOES NOT MEAN mods needs to be closed source or open source only, there are all kinds of license for all kinds of styles and preferences, mod authors are FREE to chose whatever license they prefer.

More info can be found at http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=532829.0

Edit, grammar and typos.

[Herman's Mixen]

thats something new lol... -insult removed-

when there where just the licenses when a author put it "before" ... smf allowed this new license policy all was fine ...now its stuck even on mod authors who already left the scene

and i am leaving this -snip- also...

[Suki]

I'm sorry that failing to grasp copyright/licensing concept  has made you to take the decision to leave this place.

I reiterate SMF's compromise to follow and comply any international copyright laws governing intellectual property.

[LiroyvH]

That's a ridiculous comment Herman. We have to abide the law, it's as simple as that.
You're suggesting that we should violate international copyright laws and open ourselves up to legal trouble. Yeah, think again.

Suki has clearly explained what the situation is, and what the law is. For which I thank her.
We cannot change the law. If you want to change the law: open up a petition at change.org and your local government. Good luck with that!

So you said:

myself goes for full free stuff for whatever i should write... that's why i deleted al my mods from the past.. and should never release stuff to sites like this anymore !!

So that's easily settled then, if you want it to be free for everyone to use and fork:
Release your mod under the BSD license. Tadaaaa! Problem solved.
Because by not choosing a license, you're doing exactly what you do not want... As Suki explained, not specifying a license means everyone has to assume by law that it is under a very restrictive license... And thus, you're releasing it in a way that it's not "full free". It's actually "full restricted". Basically, it's your own fault, and it has nothing to do with "a site like this".

We're trying to ensure that what you want actually happens, that's exactly why we made that rule. And you're doing the opposite of what you claim that you want... Gosh. That you don't understand how the law works is all fine and dandy, but don't start making ridiculous accusations that we are crap whilst it's your own choices that are the root cause of "the problem". :/

One more time:
- Releasing your mod without license == releasing your mod with a maximum restricted license
- Releasing your mod with a license == depending on the license you choose, it can be extremely liberal; such as BSD.
Not hard to understand, right?

If you want to violate international copyright laws, you can do so at your own website; but we will not allow it here.
Incidentally, if you do choose to violate the applicable laws on your own site; you cannot link to it here.
That's not a matter of "having a heart", it's simply a matter of "we're not going to risk having a lawsuit on our ass"...


As such, as we have been made aware of the copyright violation posted by Maximus: that attachment has now been removed. When we're made aware of copyright violations: we're obliged to remove it, to comply with the laws that apply to us. Nothing we can do about it.
Thank you for bringing it to our attention. It can be restored if Bulakbol grants permission for derivate works, or updates the mod himself.
I hope someone will write a new mod like this from scratch for the OP and others that are interested.
I see suggestions have been made, so maybe someone is happy to write a new mod.


Please don't look angry at us for abiding the law and ensuring we can keep existing...
It's easy to ask from us that we open ourselves up to lawsuits and potentially thousands of dollars in damages, as long as you don't have to pay it.
We're not going to do that, sorry.

Closing this topic now.