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[Drakebyte]

Hello! For my theme I'm making for SMF2.0 RC2, I have this little problem with my footer. I want to keep the SMF copyright by ALL MEANS, this is important to me as I develop open-source software in my own spare time and I realize the importance of credit where credit is due.

HOWEVER!

The 'Powered by SMF2.0 RC2' part is being really annoying with my theme, I just can't really fit it anywhere without feeling my theme is out of place.  Is it fine to remove the 'Powered by SMF2.0 RC2' part, and keep the SMF (C) 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC part?

Thanks,
Drakebyte

[mirahalo]

Copyright Information

Am I allowed to remove or modify the copyright?

those links will clear any dout you have

[Drakebyte]

I've read those, and it's still not very clear to me. To me, the copyright part comes after Powered by SMF2.0 RC2 |

The | keeps the two apart, no? I'm just confused, at best I could try to split them up in two lines like this:

MyForum is powered by SMF2.0 RC2
SMF (C) 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC

[mirahalo]

I dont know if you can split that as I'm not sure there is two parts,  theres always been Powered by SMF 1.1.11 | SMF © 2006–2008, Simple Machines LLC   the only edit doable is to remove the version number  theres even a mod for that,  you will have to wait the response of a smf team member on this one, but I'm pretty sure you can't split it

[Arantor]

Correct, the only permitted edit currently is to remove the version number.

As per the license you are not allowed to edit any more than that.

[Drakebyte]

Thanks, well that clears up a lot.

Wouldn't a license change be a good idea to at least allow the lay-out of the copyright to be done in multiple lines or so? Though.. that's the suggestion's board purpose.

Anyway, problem solved. Thanks : )

[Arantor]

This has been suggested more than once - and shot down more than once. The more styleable we make it, the easier it is for people to hide it (and people do; we encounter at least one just about every day with the copyright removed)

[Drakebyte]

Right and copyright removal pisses me off insanely much. It's happened to me too.
I'll think of a good work-around. Does it HAVE to be in the footer or can I place the copyright anywhere on my page albeit visibly?

[Arantor]

*nods* Thank you for understanding

As long as it's visible on the page, and legible (i.e. no hiding it on the same colour background) it shouldn't matter where it is, provided it is there.

[SoLoGHoST]

This has been suggested more than once - and shot down more than once. The more styleable we make it, the easier it is for people to hide it (and people do; we encounter at least one just about every day with the copyright removed)

No offense here, but it's really not difficult to get rid of the copyright of SMF.  Took me about 2 minutes to find out how to get rid of it completely.  Honestly, was looking into a means to implement a copyright of some sort, and just wanted an idea of how SMF did theirs, thinking it would be code that would AWE me to death, instead was a huge disappointment to say the least!  Still searching and trying to figure out a better method to implement a copyright.

[Arantor]

If you figure it out, let them know.

Fact is there really isn't a better way of doing it - whatever can be done, can be undone.

[SoLoGHoST]

Well, there are a few ideas that come to mind.  XML Encryption, file storage, etc. etc..  Basically, if the copyright is removed the software shouldn't work IMO.  So going with this idea, there a million and 1 ways to implement it throughout SMF entirely.  Just think of dongles and how often they check that the software is legit.  Anyways, just a thought.

[Arantor]

If the copyright is removed, it spits an error into the error log and adds a great big warning. But as I said, no matter what measures you add, it can be removed without encrypting the files themselves - but that adds so many other issues.

[SoLoGHoST]

Yeah, but this great big warning can be removed tooo easily.  And furthermore, removing it has no side effects at all on the SMF Forum that it is removed from.

[Divaksh]

Why SMF have 2 Links in CopyRite Portion? ? ?

[Arantor]

SoLoGHoST: You're missing the bigger point here. Whatever can be done, can just as easily be undone. It doesn't matter how clever you get, it can ALWAYS be engineered out. Dongles? Don't make me laugh - I used to have an Amiga, and saw all the copy protection methods there were there... and yet virtually everything was cracked and distributed within days of its release, no matter how clever its scheme.

DivaksH: Because it always has, for one. It's to ensure that there is no doubt over who wrote it, and also the second link is to the copyright statement, to make it clear what the copyright itself actually relates to (without qualification, simply putting © on something doesn't always make it fully copyrighted)

[SoLoGHoST]

Yeah, I know dongle checks can be removed as I have done this myself for the fun of it in Assembly Language using SoftIce to a program called, FlexiSign Pro back in those days.  As well as making backups of Games and removing the Genuine CD Check within the Game itself from the .exe files.  Just about everything has been cracked at 1 point or another.  And I know that it may even be impossible to implicate a FULL-Proof way of not being able to remove a copyright.  But I'm just completely shocked at how easy it is to remove SMF's copyright, that's all.  I thought it would be a lot harder, but unfortunately it's much easier than I thought that's all.

[Arantor]

But if you make it harder to remove, you do so at the cost of bloating the software.