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| from scratch[message #102391]
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Mon, 13 March 2006 00:23 
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 brezhtnev |
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Messages:3
Registered:March 2006
Location: Belgium |
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Hi all,
I've been dreaming of a modern community-maintained (under some open-source license) clone of Jagged Alliance 2. For example, a clean, object-oriented, cross-platform, 3D JA2 with easily editable data files (for modding) plus some decent mod tools.
I know it's not very realistic though, as it would require a well-coordinated team with lots of time to accomplish such a large project. Still, I'd like to ask about the legal status of a clone.
Assume we write, from scratch (i.e. not based on the JA2 sources) a JA2 clone, but *read* the JA2 sources to know the details of the JA2 inner workings (damage calculations, AI, etc). Would our work be subject to the SFI License? IMHO, it wouldn't be much of a problem if SF could use the project and sell a commercial version of the product, but it wouldn't be fair unless they too, would have to release any changes made to our work (so they can basically sell scenarios - which wouldn't fall under an open-source license).
Say we clone (recreate) the mercs (properties, faces, speech, ...) and other characters from JA2. This would probably infringe IP laws, right? It would perhaps be an option to require a JA2 CD or installation and use those files, but I'm afraid this would limit the popularity. Any other options?
I'm actually taking a course in IP law this semester, but I've yet to begin studying it 
Regards,
darklite
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Civilian
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| Re: from scratch[message #102394]
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Sat, 08 April 2006 05:06 
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| firefly |
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Messages:2
Registered:March 2004
Location: New Hampshire |
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I have to agree with Edwin. It's funny, I started a thread in 1.13 general discussion about this very topic.
IANAL, but looking at the code will imply SFI license. As you say, this might not inherently be a problem since SFI just wants to cash in on other people's work -- so be it, at least we got the code!
Problem is, to attract the audience you'd need, you'd have to get GPL or some such license, and SFI's license conflicts heavily. GPL zealots will *refuse* to look at code under certain licenses because that can give the appearance of liability.
What I was hoping for is a contact with SFI to try and hammer these things out. They could still GPL the code and sell a binary product, but they'd have to release any modifications they make. If their intention is solely to cash in on a potential community effort, they can do that too. Ideally "our" code would just always be better than "their" code 
My true reason for this is I'm *dying* to get networking going in any respect, but I lack the solo skills to do so, and that will take work from a team of people going community-style. Frankly, downloading the source from here or 113mods site in a zip won't cut it if the intention is to get community involvement.
Anyway, my $0.02
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Civilian
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