Can I use the sourcecode for my own project?

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    • Can I use the sourcecode for my own project?

      Hi. I got your book a couple weeks ago and i really like it and I was hoping that i could use some of the techniques and code from the book and use it in the game engine that I am making. For the most part I will try to enter in the code by hand and just use the book as a reference but for some things like the zip file code i might be doing more of a copy and paste style then making the necessary changes to fit it in. Is this ok?

      Thanks :)

      By the way, the game engine will be released under the lgpl license so open source.
    • RE: Can I use the sourcecode for my own project?

      after looking at your site... I doubt that you can use it for the project that it appears you are working on.

      The agreement says you can use the code for personal or commercial projects, but not to essentially compete with the author's book (unless I'm horribly misreading it).
      "Your job is not to die for your country. Your job is to make some other poor sod die for his."
    • after looking at your site... I doubt that you can use it for the project that it appears you are working on.

      The agreement says you can use the code for personal or commercial projects, but not to essentially compete with the author's book (unless I'm horribly misreading it).


      I don't really see how I am competing with the book. I am not writing a book, the game engine will be open source, I won't be making any money off of it and i will be sure to give some credit to the book.

      What is it that makes me competing?
    • Mike and I had a conversation about this a couple years ago, but I will defer to him for the ultimate ruling.

      Here is my understanding: You are free to use the concepts in this book for anything you like. You are free to use code itself as long as it's distributed under the same Creative Commons license and the block comments at the top of each source file remain intact. You can't claim the work as your own. The no competition thing means that you can't take the engine we wrote and make a million dollars without there first being a conversation with us (the authors) and probably the publisher.

      It sounds like you're releasing the engine as open source so, as long you leave our credits in there (the block comment at the top of each source file), you should be okay.

      Have I got that about right, Mike?

      -Rez
    • You've got that right rez - but the source code for the 3rd edition is no longer released under Creative Commons. It is released under GNU GPL v2.

      You should take a look at that license to make sure you adhere to it.

      If you ever published this source in a book, that would be ok, as long as you gave the author credit (which might be me, or one of my co-authors). It would also be a really good idea to contact me and make sure you wouldn't get into any trouble with Charles River Media, the publisher of the third edition.

      Whatever it is you are doing - if it is an open source project you're probably ok - but understanding and following license restrictions is something you might want to get a lawyer friend to help you out with.
      Mr.Mike
      Author, Programmer, Brewer, Patriot
    • Originally posted by mrmike
      You've got that right rez - but the source code for the 3rd edition is no longer released under Creative Commons. It is released under GNU GPL v2.

      You should take a look at that license to make sure you adhere to it.

      If you ever published this source in a book, that would be ok, as long as you gave the author credit (which might be me, or one of my co-authors). It would also be a really good idea to contact me and make sure you wouldn't get into any trouble with Charles River Media, the publisher of the third edition.

      Whatever it is you are doing - if it is an open source project you're probably ok - but understanding and following license restrictions is something you might want to get a lawyer friend to help you out with.


      But we are alright if we do not copy the code verbatim and just use it as a reference for architecture, correct? (for commercial projects)