Re: [GZG] Can Haz Full Thrust Game Server?

Hi Sam,

On Sep 19, 2008, at 12:20 PM, Samuel Penn wrote:
>> Or, do you want us to place the source code itself under a non-
>> commercial license (CC-NC), so that it isn't legally permissible to
>> use in any commercial products?
>>
>> http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
>
> No such license would restrict what the copyright holder can
> do - they are free to relicense under a commercial license at
> a later point if they so wish. If you really want Jon to keep
> control over commercial aspects of it, then probably he would
> need to own the copyright on it.

I think you're missing the point. I (as copyright owner) am already  
promising to obey Jon's request to keep it non-commercial (and if I  
can't be trusted, the whole issue is moot :-).	The goal of the  
license terms is to keep malicious and dishonorable people using our  
code inappropriately.

>> (or perhaps under the GPL, so it is at least difficult to  
>> commercialize)?
>
> Not true - this is a common misconception. Linux is under the
> GPL, and Red Hat makes lots of money by selling it.

Sigh, OK, let me be more precise. Yes, it *is* possible to make money  
of GPL software, just more difficult. Red Hat makes money by  
*packaging* and *supporting* Linux, not selling it per se.  If we made	
"libfullthrust" GPL, then it would prevent (say) game companies from  
creating a proprietary product and selling it (without releasing the  
source -- which undermines most traditional business models).

If you really want to be picky, we should actually release the game  
server under the Affero GPL, so that people couldn't even host the  
server without posting back source changes.

Again, it really depends on what Jon's concerns are, and what level of	
protection he is comfortable with.

The route I'm currently leaning towards is:

a) making relatively generic (though FT biased) game engine, with the  
actual "rules" encoding *declaratively* in XML or equivalent.

b) have the server store the various rulesets declaratively (e.g.,  
XML), as submitted (and modified) by various people.

c) establish server *policy* requiring CC-NC for all submitted data,  
so that the end result is owned by the community and not usable  
commercially.

d) Release the generic server itself under a true open source license;	
since it contains minimal FT knowledge, it shouldn't impact Jon's  
Intellectual Property that strongly.

Would that work, Jon?

-- Ernie P.

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