Is phpGrabComics legal?
Hi,
I am the author of a free software program called GNU phpGrabComics.
It started as a very small project, and now it is growing much as user
base. My server (I am on a shared hosting) is starting to have load
problems, and I have to consider what to do.
But, first of all, is the time for verifing with strong attention if
the software itself is legal. I have had several comments and tryed to
address them, but before any further step I want to be totally sure
that the software is legal.
Ok - the facts.
phpGrabComics (available at http://www.baravalle.it/phpGrabComics/) is
a software that:
1- connects to some web sites (nearly 250)
2- finds the URL of the daily comic
3- saves some of the comics for use of the webmaster only. The
location where the comics are saved is not published (there are no
links to the comics - but they are neither protected, at the present
time; a user that knows phpGrabComics code may access the comics).
4- publishes some information:
a- a RSS file with the URL of the daily comic
b- a small thumbnail of the daily comic
c- a XML file similar to the RSS one, with informations on the HTTP
headers required to download the comics
phpGrabComics clients get the RSS file or the XML file from a
phpGrabComics site and then can download the comics.
pyGrabComics (in python) and phpGrabComics command line (in php) do
pretty much the same and allow to download comics from the command
line.
phpGrabComics for nuke parses the RSS and allows to add comics to phpNuke sites.
I'm not sure:
-if it is legal that the directory where phpGrabComics saves comics is
accessible to the public, even if there is no link at all to the
comics (but I know of web sites that are linking to the comics that
are in the directory)
-if are legal my RSS
(http://www.baravalle.it/phpGrabComics/rss_feeds.php) and my XML
(http://www.baravalle.it/phpGrabComics/webcomics.xml)
-if it is legal to distribute the phpNuke module. My understanding is
that in many cases the use of the phpNuke module would not be legal,
if it is used to publish the comics. I am not using the module in my
site.
-if the icons used in phpGrabComics are legal. Every comic has a small icon.
In my home page is written that:
"All comics are copyright of respective owners, and redistribution of
the comics is, for most comics and in most circumstances, not
permitted. phpGrabComics is intended for personal use only."
Hope someone can give me some suggestions.
Thanks in advance.
Andres
PS: I have started to package phpGrabComics but, again, before
submitting it to Debian, I want to be sure that this is legal, and to
find what to do to make it legal if it is not.
____________
Andres Baravalle
http://www.baravalle.it
____________
Gli uomini d'azione sono poco pratici.
La stessa azione li allontana dalla loro meta.
Paco Ignacio Taibo I
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