How to deal with license...

Hello,

I've just discovered TBS today, and think it's amazing. I'll ptobably have loads of questions, but before I go around and try to learn it all I have 1 question about the license.

I have my own business in website-development. Is it possible to use TBS in my products, and if so, what are the requirements. I read somewhere that it requires me to include the license in my own product, but I don't want my own products under the LGPL-license because I don't want my customers distributing my product. How do I go about this?

Hi Roy,

That's ok for you. That the main difference between GPL (General Public Licence) and LGPL (Library General Public License) :
- a GPL product makes other products GPL,
but
- a LGPL does not makes other products LGLP nor GPL.

You can also change the code of a LGPL product, but the modified LGPL product stays LGLP.

Hi Skrol29,

Thanks for the fast reply! The file tbs_class.php stays LGPL, the rest (whitch is code I wrote) is under a license of my choice.

Just to get things right, and to make sure I don't loose sleep over license-issues here: how do I have to clarify that this one file is subject to another license then the rest? Does the included notice in the comment-lines in the top of the file suffice or do I have to make additional references to this? And if I do, how do I have to make these references?

Hi Roy,

I cannot say for sure.
What I would do is just noticing other licensed products in the license documentation of mine.

AFAIK (I am not a lawyer):

1) You need to "give prominent notice" that the library is being used
2) You need to include the library's copyright notice into combined work's copyright notice, and include a copy of LGPL license.
3) If you are combining the library's code into the same file with your own code, you need to include license declaration in the file (usually header)

Since LGPL is based on GPL, I think in theory you also needs to actively tell the users part of the software is in LGPL, however HTML code displayed over Internet is usually a product of the system rather then the system itself, so technically you don't have to put anything on the site for the visitors.  You may have to state it for system users (those who generate content with it).

Now, that is the legal part.

I am not Skrol but I personally believe that it is fine as long as you respect Skrol's work and maybe try to help out or spread the word.

I'm not Skrol either, but I hope that you and similarly situated users will think really long term and make visible the fact that you/they are using TBS.

As 'sheepy' said -- spread the word.

Promote TBS in all ways that you can. It's in ALL us users self-interest to make Skrol/TBS as successful as possible -- the last thing, and most undesirable outcome, would be for TBS development to cease at some point in the future.

I won't actually suggest that users should put reference to TBS / tinybutstrong.com in there META tags -- because Skrol should be the one to indicate in what ways we can do more to hel in this regard -- but I think something should be considered to ptromote TBS more widely.

Sorry to hijack,
My 2 cents,

One way we all can help Skrol29 in his great work on TBS, that has been going on
for at least 5 years, is to donate some money.
There is a tiny (!) link at the end of the Support page for this purpose.
Skrol29 should be less shy and put the link visibly into the download page.
I suggest everyone who has benefited from TBS would consider at least
buying him a virtual beer or a wine (he is French, after all).

Sorry to intervene... And thanks for the discussion on the licenses.