Re: License issue on tiny Javascript fragment

["Bernhard R. Link" <brlink@debian.org>]

* Ken Arromdee <arromdee@rahul.net> [090209 05:39]:
> On Sat, 7 Feb 2009, Bernhard R. Link wrote:
> > 1) The safe way: See what it does, describe someone else not knowing the
> > code to write code doing this for you and use that code.
>
> Does that actually work?  The description is a derivative work of the code;
> the new code is a derivative work of the description and therefore the old
> code.

Again, I've no legal training, so all educated guesses, ask a lawyer if
you want to be sure.

I think the main point of that is to make the description in a form that
is not a derivative work. The form is monopolizeable, the ideas and
algorithm behind it are not. Thus a description that only describes
parts that are not protectable should effectively cut all chains of
copyright. (This of course requires that the description is only
describes the ideas and algorithms and is nothing like "first there is
an if, then a open parenthesis, then...").

Note that I do not claim this is the only way, just that is a way so
safe that I cannot immagine any judge to see any problems there...

Hochachtungsvoll,
	Bernhard R. Link