Does something like a default license exists? [closed]
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Closed 7 years ago.
Improve this questionImagine I found some piece of code, no information about its license. I can't find any contact information, or the contact doesn't respond.
So my question is: Is it licensed by a default license? Am I allowed to modify the code, redistribute it, sell it or what ever? Or do I have to treat this 开发者_运维知识库software as completely restricted stuff?
This is not legal advice
If there is any doubt in your mind of where it came from you should not use it. Just because the license isn't there doesn't mean there isn't one. Someone else could have stripped the license from the code and reposted it. That wouldn't give you carte-blanche to use it.
It is very possible that at a later date the original author who did Copyright (which he gets the copyright by default) could come after you.
In all reality it would all depend on his ability to enforce his copyright. This is what is happening will all these tech companies claiming their IP has been infringed on. The Linux, Google, Microsoft, Oracle debacles are all because of some similar problem to this.
If it isn't that complicated, just rewrite the code.
The default license is - if obtained the code eligible - that you are allowed to read the code. And that's it. IANAL.
Where did you find it? A web-site (contact webmaster), a post (contact the author, or leave amessage in the forum)? Legacy code in your company?
You should try to follow the breadcrumbs and try to get to the author to clarify it. Document what you do to contact him, so at least you can prove you have not acted in bad faith in case someone complains.
If you have done that and nothing comes out, I would use it in my code without much of a hassle. If the author wanted it copyrighted, he should have attached a copyright notice to it.
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