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Re: Design vs. Implementation
From: |
Barry Margolin |
Subject: |
Re: Design vs. Implementation |
Date: |
Fri, 25 Mar 2005 01:47:48 -0500 |
User-agent: |
MT-NewsWatcher/3.4 (PPC Mac OS X) |
In article <mailman.193.1111729435.28103.gnu-misc-discuss@gnu.org>,
Don Parris <evangelinux@matheteuo.org> wrote:
> I just want to clarify my understanding here. If this bit confuses you,
> please be patient with me - I might be the one confused. ;)
>
> I have a database design - no code yet. I need to determine whether the GPL
> will be appropriate or not for this situation. The GPL is my preferred
> license, but it may not be appropriate in this case. I assume that the GPL
> would only apply to the actual code, and not to the design of the database
IANAL, but I believe that's correct. The GPL is enforced by copyright,
and copyright only applies to code, not the ideas that the code
implements.
> itself. If this is true, then it might be possible to offer a GPL'ed
> implementation and another implementation under a different license.
You can even do that with the *same* implementation. You can license it
to one party under the GPL, and license it to another party under a
different license. Each party would be obliged to obey the license they
received.
> I designed the database at home, but want to have the opportunity to
> implement it at my job, which will require the use of MS Access. If I could
> offer the back-end using PostgreSQL or MySQL (or something similar), and
> then let them build a front-end using Access, that would be different. I do
> not foresee that happening any time soon.
>
> I will have to create the complete database using MS Access for the job.
> The home-based version would use one of the free/open source databases. Any
> input is welcome.
You'd better confirm with your employer that the code you wrote at home
is yours to do with as you wish. Many employment agreements have a
non-compete clause that says that anything you implement that's within
the scope of the company's business belongs to them, even if you do it
on your own time.
--
Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***