Script Distribution Policy
Doug Lee

This document outlines and explains my policies for script distribution and the reasons for them.

History of document:

October 20, 2021: Improved wording of a comment on the effect of code distribution on an employer.
April 18, 2020: Separated script translation information out into its own document.
March 5, 2020: Minor updates to script translation section.
February 7, 2019: Updated script translation policy to include Dropbox file removal policies. Removed publication date from document heading as it now appears on the first entry in this history.
February 1, 2019: Initial publication.

The Current Policy
- Code Distribution
- Script Translations
The Previous Policy and Its Problems
Appendix A: Current Binary License
Appendix B: Previously Used BSD License

The Current Policy

Code Distribution

As of 2019, I have begun to cease distributing source code with some of my public scripts. Reasons for this include, in no particular order:

Much faster install times for users.
Zero impact on most users, except perhaps for a tiny space savings.
Discovery of a few abuses of my previous policy of distributing source files. (See the next section for details on this.)
The possibly useful side effect of making some of my projects good examples of how to distribute sourceless scripts in a way that allows other third-party scripts to cooperate in sharing default-level functionality.
Far less material in jsd files for translators to worry about (I can leave out the things that users would never see anyway).
Encouragement to myself to work on a long-existing but seldom-pursued idea for runtime script language translation, to allow one set of scripts to run in any language without having to be rebuilt for each. This system started to go live on April 18, 2020.

My free scripts remain free and may still be distributed freely. The specific requirements on redistributions still appears as a license agreement in the installers I publish. A copy of the current license also appears as Appendix A in this document.

Script Translations

As of April 18, 2020, the system for script translation is changing to one that does not require script recompilation for each language. See the Script Translation Procedure document for details on how translation is accomplished.

The Previous Policy and Its Problems

Up through the end of 2018, all of my public scripts were covered by the BSD license. In a nutshell, this license permitted redistribution of my work, with or without source code, provided a few conditions. Notable among these was the requirement that the documentation accompanying any redistribution that did not include my source code must include an acknowledgement of the use of my code in the documentation. Beyond this stipulation, the license was quite permissive - more so than the popular GNU Public General License (GPL), for example. A copy of the BSD license appears in this document as Appendix B.

Over time, I have observed at least two types of activity out there that concerned me:

Use of my code, without redistributing source, and without including the required acknowledgement. This bothers me on moral grounds, besides legal ones. It may also adversely affect my professional work and reputation and/or that of my employer.
Extra requirements being placed on the use of my code by redistributors. Examples of additional requirements, and which I do and do not consider problematic:
- Charging money for scripts that include some of my code but that consist mostly of original work. This is fine with me, provided the BSD license requirements are met, including the display of appropriate credit. I stress that this case is ok with me, so that those scripters out there who make a living by selling scripts can know what level of assistance they may take from my work, and how to do it properly.
- Charging money for scripts based fully or primarily on my work. This would annoy me because it amounts to a form of freeloading. (I do not have evidence that this has occurred, but I include it here to distinguish it from the previous case.)
- Addition of copy protection schemes, authorization codes, and the like. I consider this problematic because it can cause confusion as to what is and is not allowed. It has also occasionally caused people to think that I authored such protection schemes for a public project, which I have never done.
- Translation of my code for use in other languages, but without an effort to preserve the nature of output messages; for example, translating to another language but using swear words in error and other output text. This concerns me because it can confuse people over what I personally would be willing to put into a public project.

I have been aware of various instances of several of the above issues over many years, but I have always convinced myself that the best approach to them would be to ignore them. I have finally decided that this may not always be the best course of action. I consider this 2019 policy change to be experimental, but also likely to persist.

Appendix A: Current Binary License

This license began to apply to my public projects as of the start of 2019. The date range in the below text is an example.

Copyright (c) 2012-2019 Doug Lee.

All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in binary form is permitted provided that the
following conditions are met:

* Redistributions must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
  conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other
  materials provided with the distribution.

* The names of the copyright holders and contributors may not be used to
  endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific
  prior written permission.

Except via specific prior written permission, distribution, acquisition,
or discovery of source code, such as by reverse engineering or decompiling,
is not permitted.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE
USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Appendix B: Previously Used BSD License

This license applied to my public projects for many years through the end of 2018. The date range in the below text is an example.

Copyright (c) 2012-2019 Doug Lee.

All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
  this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
  this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
  and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

* The names of the copyright holders and contributors may not be used to
  endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific
  prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE
USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Script Distribution Policy Doug Lee