Ondrej Certik wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 12, 2008 at 5:25 PM, Robert Dodier <robert.dodier at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 6/12/08, Andrej Vodopivec <andrej.vodopivec at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I guess GPL. But if Manuel Bronstein was still alive I would ask for
>>> his permission since this is just a port of his maple program.
>>>
>> As a derived work, a translation is governed by the license for the original,
>> if I am not mistaken. Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer.
>>
>> However, last time I looked I was unable to find license statements
>> on Bronstein's work which is still on the INRIA website.
>>
>> I wrote to INRIA, I forget who, a couple of years ago to ask about
>> the disposition of Bronstein's work, but I didn't get a reply except
>> maybe "we're working on it".
>>
>> So at this point I don't feel comfortable importing the Maxima
>> translation of Bronstein's pmint. Some clarification from INRIA
>> could change that, maybe it is worth pursuing again.
>>
>
> I understand the rationalle, but intuitively, I find this quite
> ridiculous that you cannot just take the algorithm, write it in maxima
> (or in any other CAS) and put it in under your own license. So let's
> say you will never receive an answer from INRIA. What can you do then?
>
> Ondrej
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>
>
Check out
http://digital-law-online.info/lpdi1.0/treatise27.html
especially section V1.D.1 on the 'Clean Room.'
It has apparently been established that the algorithms in computer codes
can be reimplemented without copyright infringement--provided that the
person or group doing the reimplementation has not seen any part of the
original codes. Thus, one person could extract the algorithms in a
computer program, give those to another person who has not seen the
original program, and the second person could produce his or her own
program implementing the algorithms without copyright infringement.
However, section V1.D.2 indicates that, if the reimplementer has seen
the original source code, then this may be an infringement. Thus, the
safe way is to obtain permission from the copyright owner UNLESS one
uses the 'clean room method.'
FWIW,
-sen