Do you have any suggestions for commonly known licenses?  I care about two main things.  First if our content is being used in other projects (non sandbox) that they ask us for permission and give us proper credit.  So if someone made a game based on Sandbox, which would make it a fork really, just to be sure to ask us for any content they use and give us credit.  The main reason is so that I can make sure copyrights are protected and that it helps spread the word about Sandbox.  The second is that if someone makes a cool game based on Sandbox let us be able to use that code to help improve Sandbox as well.  It looks like my wordings aren't the best in my license, and I'm also not a lawyer either.  Let me know if you have any ideas on a license that would work well.  Thanks for your time and help.  Take care -mike <div class="gmail_quote">On Feb 6, 2008 12:05 PM, Miriam Ruiz <<a href="mailto:little.miry@gmail.com">little.miry@gmail.com</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> 2008/2/6, Platinum Arts <<a href="mailto:platinumarts@gmail.com">platinumarts@gmail.com</a>>: <div><div></div><div class="Wj3C7c">> Sorry forgot to CC this to the mailing list. > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Platinum Arts <<a href="mailto:platinumarts@gmail.com">platinumarts@gmail.com</a>> >  Date: Feb 6, 2008 11:18 AM > Subject: Re: Bringing 3D Game Design To Kids > To: Miriam Ruiz <<a href="mailto:little.miry@gmail.com">little.miry@gmail.com</a>> > > > Hi, thanks for your e-mail!  The zlib license for the source is located in > src/cube_2_enginelicense.txt  I know what you mean with the chaotic > licensing of cube, and it was the same for cube 2.  For Sandbox every file > that doesn't belong to Platinum Arts does have an associated readme with the > license information.  All other files are created by/given to Platinum Arts > and fall under that license (located in the main directory in > PlatinumArtsSandboxLicense.txt  I should probably rename that just to > license.  The basic idea of the license is that if you want to use the > content in other projects ask first and second if you do something cool to > the source code let us use it to help make Sandbox better too.  If you need > any more help please let me know.  I know it is still a little confusing but > it should be a lot better documented than Cube 2 as far as licenses.  Take > care and thanks so much for your interest!!  Also as I mentioned in the > previous e-mail we do have an updated linux client if that one is giving > anyone a hard time. >  -mike </div></div>Hi again, Mike, thanks for the tip! I didn't see that file :) The license then would be: 1.  This notice may not be removed or altered from any distribution. 2.  The Cube 2 license located in /src must be read and abided by as well.  The Cube 2 license only pertains to the original Cube 2 source and not to any Platinum Arts LLC additions/modifications. 3.  If you use Platinum Arts Sandbox to make a project please be sure to contact Platinum Arts LLC and provide information about the project.  Also be sure to clearly credit Platinum Arts Sandbox on your webpage, software and documentation. Your code must remain open to Platinum Arts LLC and available for use in Platinum Arts Sandbox to help further the project. 4.  With the exception of content with an individual readme file, any content submitted for inclusion in Platinum Arts Sandbox becomes property of Platinum Arts LLC.  Authors of the content will be credited and they can use their work in other projects. 5.  With the exception of content with an individual readme file, all content is copyright Platinum Arts LLC and permission is required for distribution.  In other words if you want to use Platinum Arts Sandbox maps or other content, please ask first. 6.  This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty.  In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages or any other problems arising from the use of this software. 7.  Any questions or concerns about this license should be directed to <a href="mailto:PlatinumArts@gmail.com">PlatinumArts@gmail.com</a> I see some problems with this license for being able to put it under Debian main repository [1] [2]. As it is, it would probably need to go to non-free. I'm not a lawyer anyway, so I should ask debian-legal to be sure, but here is my preliminary impression: "3.  If you use Platinum Arts Sandbox to make a project please be sure to contact Platinum Arts LLC and provide information about the project.  Also be sure to clearly credit Platinum Arts Sandbox on your webpage, software and documentation. Your code must remain open to Platinum Arts LLC and available for use in Platinum Arts Sandbox to help further the project. " [1] <a href="http://www.debian.org/social_contract" target="_blank">http://www.debian.org/social_contract</a> [2] <a href="http://people.debian.org/%7Ebap/dfsg-faq.html" target="_blank">http://people.debian.org/~bap/dfsg-faq.html</a> There are some problems with this if the "please be sure to contact" is a requirement and not a suggestion. Have a look at point 9 in [2]: "How can I tell if a license is a free software license, by Debian's standards?". The part about "clearly credit Platinum Arts Sandbox on your webpage" is not very clear, which webpage? all your webpages? What if you don't have a webpage? Debian and all their derivatives would have to credit Platinum Arts Sandbox in their main webpages? I expect lots of problems with this. "Your code must remain open to Platinum Arts LLC and available for use in Platinum Arts Sandbox" ir quite ambiguous too, it doesn't define what "open" means, and "available for use" is not clear either. "4.  With the exception of content with an individual readme file, any content submitted for inclusion in Platinum Arts Sandbox becomes property of Platinum Arts LLC.  Authors of the content will be credited and they can use their work in other projects." This doesn't seem to belong to the license of the program, but with the conditions for submitting contents to you. "5.  With the exception of content with an individual readme file, all content is copyright Platinum Arts LLC and permission is required for distribution.  In other words if you want to use Platinum Arts Sandbox maps or other content, please ask first." This is definitely not free (as in DFSG-free). Have a look at point 9 in [2] again. Every Debian derivative would be required  to contact you. In fact, you're not only asking for contact when redistributing the contents, but when using them! Every Debian user, or Debian derivative user (such as Ubuntu, for example) would have to contact you before being able to use the program. "6.  This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty.  In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages or any other problems arising from the use of this software." I'm not a lawyer, but I guess it would be safer for you if you wrote this in CAPITAL LETTERS. Have a look at [3] and [4] for more info. [3] <a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2008/01/msg00090.html" target="_blank">http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2008/01/msg00090.html</a> [4] <a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2008/01/msg00093.html" target="_blank">http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2008/01/msg00093.html</a> These are the flaws I noticed at the 1st glance. Wouldn't it be easier and better to choose a commonly known license that was already analyzed carefully and which legal consequences would be better known? Greetings and thanks, Miry </blockquote></div> -- Check out <a href="http://PlatinumArts.Net">http://PlatinumArts.Net</a> ! It features movie reviews, stories, free video games and more!