Community Help: Protecting copyright - page 7

 

If there is no agreement on who owns the copyright and it isn't documented in the contract at all, then it is mostly up to the judge to determine who owns the copyright. One judge may decide one way, another judge may decide another. Generally copyright boils downt o the ability to choose a license agreement, and the license agreement actually dictates how software can eb distributed. So my take on this conversation between the two of you is that you are both conditionally right.

If the contract doesn't state who owns copyright and distribution rights, the contract should be thrown away and a new one written.

 

Hello all,

I wanted to ask a question and hope this is a good place. I have found several indicators/EA's (that are here for free) that have bits and peices that I like. Would people get into a tizzy if I took the chunks I like and add them to my own indicator? I would gladly input which EA/indicator I got the pieces from in a comments box and I wouldnt be selling it. So far, I suck at writing the codes for this stuff but it is all a matter of time. I dont want to be labeled a scammer or theif I just want to have something that does exactly what I want. Anyways, just wondering what your thoughts are on this?

 

Generally all open source code is free to use, free to learn from, but restricted to redistribute. You can download, copy then paste indicators all day long and make your own changes and no one will mind. I ask permission from the original author if I make minor changes to an indicator and want to post the changes - especially if it bears any name similar to the original.

If I do use code fragments (instead of just making minor changes) I redistribute in kind. (open source posted on the forum, I'll open source post on the forum too.) If the code was shared in private or they request me to not distribute it anymore, then I shouldn't keep it on the forum.

If you are selling something (which doesn't apply here) then all of the code needs to be written by you. Standard routines are very common (like checking for open orders in an EA) so reusing a few lines here and there is okay, but complete functions are not.

(Historical background)

In the history of OpenSSH, a distribution of SSH 1.2 version was open source. A commercial version was also sold. As is the common outcome, the open source version began to work better than the commercial version when enough people started contributing to it (the openssh version in this case). Since openssh was built (originally) from the open source of the 1.2 version, the author of the 1.2 version said they couldn't use his code at all. The openssh authors went into the code and removed every line of code that came from the 1.2 version, and rewrote the same intent with new code.

Long story short, the original author (or assignee) of the code owns the copyright and distribution of that code, even as a code fragment. If you rewrite it to a functional equivalent of your own design, and the functionality is not protected by patent, etc then you own the code you wrote and can redistribute it in any way you choose.

 

Maybe I'm dumb :-)

Please dont take offense to this, it's an honest question and not meant to poke fun, promote flame wars, etc.

Most of my knowledge has been gleaned from forums, and I would argue that all systems are derivative in some way, so where's the defining line? I mean if I took Rob Booker's 5-13-62 system and made Seavo's amazing 6-14-63 system, that's clearly infringing (right?). But seriously, how many 3 MA systems are there out there, and at what point is it an issue? How many grid trading EAs or hedging systems are out there with only a couple differences (grid size, sl/tp, entry/exit etc). Every time I use RSI in a strategy, do I have to get Welles Wilder's permission, or send him profits if it's being sold, etc........

I only ask, not to find a loophole, but as a discussion point and to ensure my own compliance if and when I finally find a system I'd like to contribute. I don't want to post "Seavo's AWESOME Holy Grail System" and then get a subpoena in the mail

Thanks for a great thread, and lots of food for thought!

Seavo

 
 
Seavo:
Please dont take offense to this, it's an honest question and not meant to poke fun, promote flame wars, etc.

Most of my knowledge has been gleaned from forums, and I would argue that all systems are derivative in some way, so where's the defining line? I mean if I took Rob Booker's 5-13-62 system and made Seavo's amazing 6-14-63 system, that's clearly infringing (right?). But seriously, how many 3 MA systems are there out there, and at what point is it an issue? How many grid trading EAs or hedging systems are out there with only a couple differences (grid size, sl/tp, entry/exit etc). Every time I use RSI in a strategy, do I have to get Welles Wilder's permission, or send him profits if it's being sold, etc........

I only ask, not to find a loophole, but as a discussion point and to ensure my own compliance if and when I finally find a system I'd like to contribute. I don't want to post "Seavo's AWESOME Holy Grail System" and then get a subpoena in the mail

Thanks for a great thread, and lots of food for thought!

Seavo

Basically we have a HUGE gap in the Intellectual Property (IP) documentation. All code needs to be released with a copyright *AND* a license. Phoenix 6 is being released under the QPL which means you can do anything you want with it except: sell it, create derivative versions that you sell, or claim it as your own. This is the implied license type most people have, although you see a lot of activities that don't fit into any common license except perhaps BSD (do whatever you want, but give me credit) and the credit is sometimes only on a forum, not included with the code (it should be in the code).

 
 

can any one help me if this code and values are correct

  //Get Profit Currency from chart and set its strenght from buffer of the indicator

   

   if(profitCurrency == "USD") {

      secondCurrencyStrength = USD0;

   } else if(profitCurrency == "EUR") {

      secondCurrencyStrength = EUR1;

   } else if(profitCurrency == "GBP") {

      secondCurrencyStrength = GBP2;

   } else if(profitCurrency == "CHF") {

      secondCurrencyStrength = CHF3;

   } else if(profitCurrency == "CAD") {

      secondCurrencyStrength = CAD4;

   } else if(profitCurrency == "AUD") {

      secondCurrencyStrength = AUD5;

   } else if(profitCurrency == "JPY") {

      secondCurrencyStrength = JPY6;

   } else if(profitCurrency == "NZD") {

      secondCurrencyStrength = NZD7;

   }

   //Trading Strategy implimentation

   if((firstCurrencyStrength == 4 && 5) && (firstCurrencyStrength == secondCurrencyStrength)) {

      Print("Currency Strenght is EQUAL. No trading done!");

   } else {

      if((firstCurrencyStrength >= 5.20 && firstCurrencyStrength <= 6.20) && (secondCurrencyStrength >= 4.20 && secondCurrencyStrength <= 0.00)) {

         res = OP_BUY;

      }

      if((firstCurrencyStrength >= 4.20 && firstCurrencyStrength <= 0.00) && (secondCurrencyStrength >= 5.20 && secondCurrencyStrength <= 6.20)) {

         res = OP_SELL;

      }

   }

   return (res);

 

Please edit your post and use the code button (Alt+S) when pasting code.
EDIT your original post, please do not just post the code correctly in a new post.