• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

Art of Java - code use

 
author
Posts: 799
5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Greetings,
I've enjoyed the couple of Schildt books I've picked up over the years--they are well written and make technical topics easy to grasp.
Regarding The Art of Java, may the code contained within be freely used, or is there a more restrictive license form attached to it? I didn't see any copyright notices in the source in the downloaded zip file, so my guess would be the former.
Regards,
Jeff L.
 
Author
Posts: 253
6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Jeff:
Thanks for your kind words. They are appreciated!
As to code use. I write my books to be used by real programmers. Thus, as a general rule, you are free to adapt any of the code from any of my books for your own use. To me, being able to use the code is an important reason why one would buy a programming book in the first place! (I mean, what good is a programming book if you can't use the code?)
That said, the entire contents of my books are copyrighted by McGraw-Hill. Thus, if you want to use substantial amounts of the code verbatim (that is, unchanged) in a commercial product, then you will want to get permission from McGraw-Hill. (No license, just permission.) In general, such permission is given free of charge, but this is their determination.
The above notwithstanding, most programmers use my code as a starting point, adapting, evolving, and restructuring it substantially. In this case, copyright issues are probably not applicable.
One last point: In the same way that you can't re-publish any other part of my book without permission, you can't re-publish my code without permission. But, I know this isn't what you are asking about.
I hope this helps -- and thanks again!
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 3178
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Originally posted by Herb Schildt:
Jeff:
One last point: In the same way that you can't re-publish any other part of my book without permission, you can't re-publish my code without permission. But, I know this isn't what you are asking about.


Being lack of knowledge in copyright stuff, I am eager to know sthing about the copyright permission on the programming codes...
If I just changed the names of the variables with no structures changed, is it violating the copyright of the programming code? And I'm wondering how much changes in the original codes are needed to cheat the copyright laws?
Thank you in advance, Mr.Herb...
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 5093
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
strictly, copyright law would prohibit you from using even a single line of code without change.
However, the principle of 'fair use' which is included to prevent people sueing one another over such trivialities allows you to use more than that as long as it is not 'substantial' and the use is not in direct competition with the original (or some such wording).
As such, using fragments of the code would pose no problem as long as you don't use it in a programming book of your own.
As Herb said when in doubt ask the publisher for formal permission. I guess he told the publisher to grant such liberally from what he said 'what good is a programming book if you can't use the code'.
 
Ko Ko Naing
Ranch Hand
Posts: 3178
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Originally posted by Jeroen Wenting:
strictly, copyright law would prohibit you from using even a single line of code without change.


If a programming book use int i = 0; and I use that line of code in my program, is it kinda copyright violation? Actually I don't know much about the coding copyright laws...
Any opinion is appreciate...
 
Herb Schildt
Author
Posts: 253
6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Ko Ko:
As I mentioned earlier, I write my books to be used. As far as I am concerned, as long as you are adapting, evolving, and reshaping the code to your own purposes, I doubt that copyright would ever be an issue. Of course, if you are engaged in the development of a commercial product and want to use large sections of code from the book, then getting permission from McGraw-Hill will give you peace of mind.
Also, thanks for being sensitive to these issues! It is appreciated!
BTW: I'm not a lawyer, but I can't imagine that a statement like int i = 10; could be copyrighted because of the "Fair Use" doctrine mentioned by Jeroen, and because of vast quantities of "prior art" (which is a term that means earlier usage). It is my understanding that copyright applies to sequences of things, such as words, lines of code, etc. Not to just an individual word, line of code, and so on. (For example, you can copyright a paragraph containing the word "Hello", but not the word, itself. At least, this is my understanding!)
[ January 07, 2004: Message edited by: Herb Schildt ]
 
Ko Ko Naing
Ranch Hand
Posts: 3178
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Originally posted by Herb Schildt:
Ko Ko:
As I mentioned earlier, I write my books to be used. As far as I am concerned, as long as you are adapting, evolving, and reshaping the code to your own purposes, I doubt that copyright would ever be an issue. Of course, if you are engaged in the development of a commercial product and want to use large sections of code from the book, then getting permission from McGraw-Hill will give you peace of mind.
Also, thanks for being sensitive to these issues! It is appreciated!
BTW: I'm not a lawyer, but I can't imagine that a statement like int i = 10; could be copyrighted because of the "Fair Use" doctrine mentioned by Jeroen, and because of vast quantities of "prior art" (which is a term that means earlier usage). It is my understanding that copyright applies to sequences of things, such as words, lines of code, etc. Not to just an individual word, line of code, and so on. (For example, you can copyright a paragraph containing the word "Hello", but not the word, itself. At least, this is my understanding!)
[ January 07, 2004: Message edited by: Herb Schildt ]

 
Jeff Langr
author
Posts: 799
5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Originally posted by Herb Schildt:
That said, the entire contents of my books are copyrighted by McGraw-Hill. Thus, if you want to use substantial amounts of the code verbatim (that is, unchanged) in a commercial product, then you will want to get permission from McGraw-Hill. (No license, just permission.) In general, such permission is given free of charge, but this is their determination.
The above notwithstanding, most programmers use my code as a starting point, adapting, evolving, and restructuring it substantially. In this case, copyright issues are probably not applicable.


Thanks for the answers Herb. It's a fine line, isn't it, between grabbing bits & pieces of code and using an entire app, such as the download manager.
Good luck with the book!
Regards
Jeff L.
 
Don't get me started about those stupid light bulbs.
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic