Re: re-writing algorithms in Guile

[Nate Rosenbloom <nate.rosenbloom@gmail.com>]

Note: Not a Lawyer. But according to this stack exchange thread
https://opensource.stackexchange.com/questions/1798/what-license-options-do-i-have-for-licensing-ported-source-code
(and according to my intuitive understanding of the term) porting code to a
new language would constitute a derivative work since the algorithm itself
stays the same. So you'd need to license the code using whatever provisions
the existing code has for derivative works.
-
Nate

On Mon, Jun 28, 2021 at 9:50 PM Zelphir Kaltstahl <
zelphirkaltstahl@posteo.de> wrote:

> Don't take my words for words of a lawyer:
>
> /opinion
>
> I personally think, that something like a general algorithm cannot be
> limited
> off and away from usage in society. I don't know about the law specifics,
> but if
> there was a law against rewriting an algorithm, then it would be a quite
> stupid
> law, as it would only serve to hinder progress of society.
>
> However, as we all know the law is rarely written by experts. A lot of
> stupid
> things are in there. It does not always take the good of society into
> account
> and sometimes is even biased towards protecting the ones in power and with
> financial resources. So it could very well be, that this is one of the
> cases,
> where the law is stupid, or one, where it depends on what kind of day the
> judge
> has or how well the judge knows software and code.
>
> Furthermore I think, that rewriting the algorithm into a purely functional
> one
> is often a significant work on its own and definitely adding enough of
> ones own
> work to make it a separate thing in total.
>
> /opinion end
>
> On 6/28/21 11:38 PM, Tim Meehan wrote:
> > Say for instance, I have found an algorithm for scalar function
> > minimization on a website, written in C. It is posted with a license for
> > use. If I write something based on this hypothetical code, is it then
> > clearly also licensed in the same manner?
> >
> > Granted, I know that this is guile-user and not guile-lawyer, but in many
> > cases the transformation from procedural to functional is kind of a
> radical
> > re-imagining. I usually try to contact the people and ask them directly,
> > but was wondering what was the general consensus in cases where the
> > original author did not answer?
>
> --
> repositories: https://notabug.org/ZelphirKaltstahl
>
>
>