Author: Dann Corbit
Date: 10:52:19 02/15/04
Go up one level in this thread
On February 15, 2004 at 13:41:42, Uri Blass wrote: >On February 15, 2004 at 13:29:16, Dann Corbit wrote: > >>On February 15, 2004 at 13:24:54, Uri Blass wrote: >> >>>I understood from the winboard forum that Bob considers DanChess as a crafty >>>clone and the question is what is the definition of a clone. >>> >>>I remember from slater's post in this forum that if most of the code is >>>different you cannot win in court by complaining that it is a clone. >>> >>>I understood from Dann's post that only 30% of the code of DanChess is >>>similiar(that does not mean the same as Crafty). >>> >>>Dann Corbit posted in the winboard forum the SEE function of Danchess that is >>>similiar to Crafty. >>>I wonder if it is really the main reason that Bob considers Danchess as a clone >>>or only one of the reasons. >> >>There are more reasons that that one routine. Several routines are similar. He >>also used some ideas from eval that are found only in crafty. For instance, he >>had a stonewall detection. The only other program I ever saw with stonewall >>detection was crafty. >> >>There is no standard for: >>"This is a clone" >>or >>"This is not a clone" > >I believe that there are some standards. > >Suppose that a strong program with the same similiarity to Crafty becomes >commercial and the author does not hide the similiarity and even share the >similiar code that it has to crafty. > >I believe based on your descreption that if Hyatt go to court and sue the >programmer then it is clear that the court is going to decide against him. > >> >>It is clear to me that if you use ideas from someone else and they challenge you >>as to cloning, then you may have a big problem to sort it out. > >I use alphabeta >I use null move > >What other people can do against me? > > > > Therefore, if >>someone has an idea you want to use, I think the only wise course is to send an >>email and ask if you can use the idea. > >I think that it is absurd. > >Do I need to ask people if I am allowed to use null move pruning? >What in case that I think independtly about an idea that other people use in >their soutce code and I did not read the source code? If you read an idea in someone's code, and decide to adapt it, it does not matter whether you are right or wrong if you use it without his permission. If they decide to sue you, you will have trouble. Innocence is irrelevant. You still have to go to court. For that reason, I always ask permission. For instance, here is some code I have donated to the public domain: ftp://cap.connx.com/Public_CAP_Results/Brainy/SKIPLIST.HPP ftp://cap.connx.com/tournament_software/Kahan.Hpp ftp://cap.connx.com/tournament_software/STATS.HPP In each case I talked to the authors of the works I derived the algorithms from before using them. It is not legally necessary. But it is a good idea to avoid problems. It also affords a nice chance to have some conversations with intelligent and interesting people. I am especially fond of Dr. Kahan.
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