When does using code of another considered a derivative work protected by copyright.

[Mike Certini]

Many of the programs displayed on this site have copyright designations. To what extent can one use this code for his or her own use? When a displayed program has a copyright symbol in it, can one copy and modify a subroutine and consider it his or her own? What types of activites are protected by the copyright.

[Walander]

please read my post.

https://www.mql5.com/en/forum/173219.

and let me clarify for everyone.

There is a difference between copyright and patent.

A copyright is a SIMPLE legal system that supposedly protects an idea. Patent protects functioning products.

If you were to modify code- the software is most likely copyrighted- and if unique enough patented. If you change a subroutine- and they're rich enough. Expect to be sued.

[luxinterior]

Walander:
A copyright is a SIMPLE legal system that supposedly protects an idea.

Correction

the exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc.: works granted such right by law on or after January 1, 1978, are protected for the lifetime of the author or creator and for a period of 50 years after his or her death.

dictionary.com

But as I said in my response to your post in the above referenced thread nobody is seriously expecting the admins of this forum to enforce copyright. They couldn't even if they wanted to. But what they can do, and have done, is to respect the efforts of coders who give their time freely by deleting blatantly decompiled code and code that obviously is the work of others (as has happened before in the case of TheRumpledOne).

This is a forex forum after all, not a copyright/legal forum and most certainly NOT a warez forum

Lux

[John Greydanus]

Walander:

please read my post.

https://www.mql5.com/en/forum/173219.

and let me clarify for everyone.

There is a difference between copyright and patent.

A copyright is a SIMPLE legal system that supposedly protects an idea. Patent protects functioning products.

If you were to modify code- the software is most likely copyrighted- and if unique enough patented. If you change a subroutine- and they're rich enough. Expect to be sued.

WOW, that link goes to the thread and not the post, thread is now 346 pages long ha ha ha

What I'm after, when an indicator is Copyright, and it's in public hands, it was free, not paid for, can people continue to share the indicator for using only, not for changing the code or selling, using only?

Thanks