Re: [leganii@surfree.com: Re: FWD: C-Kermit & potato]
begin Frank da Cruz quotation:
> Scenario: User calls with a problem, we have a long and frustrating
> dialog trying to ascertain exactly what software they have and its
> lineage. Eventually we discover it is a forked version of which we
> have no knowledge. We tell them we can't help. They hate us and we
> hate ourselves for not being able help them. Meanwhile, this has
> taken up the time of at least two real persons, cost us goodwill,
> damaged our reputation, and frustrated and angered the end user.
Better scenario: you put something in the license forbidding
usage of the name "kermit" for any derived works. The user calls you,
and you get to say "Oh, we don't support Fozzy, only Kermit." The
user understands completely.
> Worse scenario: Same as above, but this time there is no way to even
> tell it is a forked version, since whoever changed it didn't bother
> to change the identification info. Why should they? They have the
> liberty not to.
Trademarks are your friends.
> Another bad scenario: Malicious hacker changes the software to cause
> damage or offense and redistributes it all over the world. It still
> has the Columbia University name on it. Columbia University is sued
> and/or its reputation suffers; I lose my job for releasing software
> with a license that allows this to happen.
Use a license that prevents the use of CU's name in a forked
version.
All your problems are specifically related to reputation. So
don't license out your reputation, but rather just the code. Or am I
missing something?
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