Copyright on Custom Indicators

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Hey all,

I have a question regarding copyright on custom indicators.  I recently built my own indicator that expands on an existing stock MT4 indicator.  Specifically, it takes the MetaTrader RVI.mq4 code and adds some calculations to find the max/min indicator level within the past 300 bars and then draws them.  I would like to make this code available for free for anyone who would like to use it, but I would also like to add my name to the header because, well, that would be pretty cool!  But I want to do it correctly and since about 70 of the 200 lines of code are not mine I am not sure how to approach this.  Do I need to leave the "Copyright @ 2005, MetaQuotes Software Corp." in the header?  Or since I have changed more than half of the code can I put my name on it?  Again I will not monetize this software, I just want to put my name on this little accomplishment of mine, but without stepping on any toes.

Thanks for your help!
 

Well, if you did copy/paste a part of this code - "as it" - inside your indicator, it's fairplay to add a reference to it in the header. 

If you did just copy the formula of the RVI from someone's else code ... then i guess it'll be okay. 

 

I have had custom indicators made and  paid for coding.What is copyright on these?


Can i sell them in either ex4 or mql4 source codes?

 
Icham Aidibe:

Well, if you did copy/paste a part of this code - "as it" - inside your indicator, it's fairplay to add a reference to it in the header. 

If you did just copy the formula of the RVI from someone's else code ... then i guess it'll be okay. 

OK so if I understand you correctly if there is a "chunk" of code that is the same it deserves a copyright mention.  If, on the other hand, just the formula is used but in its own standalone context then copyright mention is not required.  In other words the formula for RVI is public knowledge but the logic used to code it into the original indicator was uniquely MetaQuotes'. 

Since I just took the existing code and added additional logic, buffers and objects, I should probably leave MetaQuotes mentioned in the header and add something underneath it.

EA-trader:

I have had custom indicators made and  paid for coding.What is copyright on these?


Can i sell them in either ex4 or mql4 source codes?

I don't know about the Copyright issue, but if you are legally able to sell them you should package them in .ex4.  Otherwise anyone can open the .mq4 up MetaEditor and copy the work you had done and potentially resell it as their own. 

 

Hi

Insert the following code in the .mq4 : 

 #property  copyright "Copyright 2018, Andrei Novichkov" 
 #property  link        "https://www.mql5.com/en/users/andreifx60" 
 #property  icon "UniWPR.ico" 
 #property  version    "1.01"

This is part of my indicator from the Market.

Do not forget to change my data ))

1. Copyright

2. Link to the profile

3. File with icon (if necessary)

4. Version


 
Andrei Novichkov:

Hi

Insert the following code in the .mq4 :

This is part of my indicator from the Market.

Do not forget to change my data ))

1. Copyright

2. Link to the profile

3. File with icon (if necessary)

4. Version


?
 
Alain Verleyen:
?

Sample code with copyright on a custom indicator.

Something wrong?

 
Andrei Novichkov:

Sample code with copyright on a custom indicator.

Something wrong?

No, I just don't understand why you are posting that.
 
The question was more to do with when it would be legally/ethically acceptable to add or remove copyright claims.  As in just how different does a piece of code have to be before it is "yours" and no longer "theirs".

But adding a custom icon does sound interesting...
 
O, sorry, sorry, I'm not careful.
 
Andrei Novichkov:

Hi

Insert the following code in the .mq4 :

This is part of my indicator from the Market.

Do not forget to change my data ))

1. Copyright

2. Link to the profile

3. File with icon (if necessary)

4. Version


Thank you Andrei. You are helpful.

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