CmapsLicense

Have new ideas for the next release of IHMC CmapTools and IHMC CmapServer?
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fridemar
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CmapsLicense

Post by fridemar »

Dear Alberto,
as promissed in CmapsCollaborationEncouragement, here my posting, focussing on the CmapsLicense.
I start quite unsystematically with the passage:

Quote: (from http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/license_client.php )

6. Beta Test Conditions. In the event that you received or downloaded this software in the context of a "Beta Test", this section applies. In consideration for receiving a copy of the Software for testing, Licensee agrees to serve as a "Beta Test Site" for the Software and will notify IHMC of all problems and ideas for enhancements which come to Licensee's attention during the period of this Agreement, and hereby assigns to Research Foundation, University, IHMC and FIHMC all right, title and interest to such enhancements and all property rights therein including without limitation all patent, copyright, trade secret, mask work, trademark, moral right or other intellectual property rights. Feedback to IHMC will be provided via electronic mail to the address "cmapsupport "AT" ihmc.us", or via the specified form on the CmapTools web site. Upon receipt of a later unreleased version of the Pre-release Software or release by IHMC, Research Foundation or its Licensors of a publicly released commercial version of the Software, whether as a stand-alone product or as part of a larger product, you agree to return or destroy all earlier Pre-release Software received from IHMC and to abide by the terms of the License Agreement for any such later versions of the Pre-release Software. Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, if you are located outside the United States of America, you agree that you will return or destroy all unreleased versions of the Pre-release Software within thirty (30) days of the completion of your testing of the Software when such date is earlier than the date University, IHMC, Research Foundation or its Licensors first commercial shipment of the publicly released (commercial) Software.

Endquote

Some (non-native) speakers (like myself) have or might have problems with the wording:


you agree that you will return or destroy all unreleased versions of the Pre-release Software within thirty (30) days of the completion of your testing of the Software when such date is earlier than the date University, IHMC, Research Foundation or its Licensors first commercial shipment of the publicly released (commercial) Software.

As I found no reference date for the "release of the Software", this might suggest the scenario, that the community members, who are now using the recommended Client download (a prerelease, a Beta ?) can evaluate it maximally 30 days and must then destroy it, without having a successor software, when there is none. So all our work would diminish into thin air.
I cannot imagine that such a scenario is in the sense of IHMC .. or the involved Cmappers.

However I can imagine a solution, where the current base client remains a free public tool for noncommercial or commercial applications (like practised in Youtube); but for priced premium products/services like may be GoogleVideo,
this could provide a base to produce gains for IHMC.

Best
Fridemar
PS.: Another CollaborationBooster would be the GuaranteedAvailabilityOfFreePublicCmapsServers ... But that's worth another posting. (Don't be surprised of my LongCamelCaseTags; this way Google becomes our best friend for collaboration all over the Web). Tags: GuaranteedAvailabilityOfFreePublicCmapServer, FreePublicCmapServer .
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fridemar
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Please clarify license. Collaboration inhibited by license?

Post by fridemar »

On viewtopic.php?f=6&t=61 , I asked for making clear a critical part of the license wording.

The license text can be (mis-)understood as follows:

Beta software users of CMaps must delete their installation within 30 days after having evaluated it and can only continue with a commercial solution.

Imagine the scenario:

If for any reason the owners of the copyright want "kill" a user, who has contributed for more than 30 days, than they can say:

"Shut up, you have infringed the license conditions. If you don't ... (this or that), we can damage you for the rest of your life with juristical punishment".


Isn't that Cmap Client (or server), we use a Beta? Or what assurance can you give us, that we are here at a friendly place, that encourages collaboration (and not only evaluation).

Best
Fridemar
Let's FosterEachOther ( <- Google )
-- Fridemar
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fridemar
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Sorry for the possibly misunderstood exaggeration

Post by fridemar »

Dear Alberto ( or who is currently in charge of administering this forum ),

of course my wording was an exaggeration to signal the urgency of my question, since I am polling this forum regularily without having seen any response yet.
Although I had set the notify option, no emails came, in spite of earlier answers to my other postings. ( Forum software problem ?)

Some people (as myself) who are really interested to invest work (i.e. collaboration) need urgently a feedback to questions, that help to avoid possible misunderstanding.

So please, take this as my serious apology.

Best
Fridemar
PS.:
I had posted this question outside this CmapsLicense topic in the forum here without addressing a special admin to meet the possibility that another admin might be in charge.
As this posting was relocated, possibly our posts have crossed. Please forgive my impatience in that case too.
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