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Subject: 
Re: Description of MLCad extensions available now
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad.dev
Date: 
Mon, 15 Jul 2002 18:15:10 GMT
Viewed: 
378 times
  
In lugnet.cad.dev.org.ldraw, Jacob Sparre Andersen writes:
[ XFUT lugnet.cad.dev ]

Don Heyse wrote:

I think I got it right.  Michael, you're not asking for much, I agree.
But you're not really asking, are you.  You're demanding it, and
threatening legal action if your demands are not met.  I quote:

2.  LIZENCE AGREEMENT

The commands described in this document are special extensions to the
Ldraw command syntax.  Other developers may include the same
functionality in their developments to be compatible to MLCAD.

When implementing one or more of these commands the developer must
clearly state the implemented commands, in a documentation available
to the end user.  Also a reference to this document which can be found
on the following web site (http://www.lm-software.com/mlcad) has to
appear in that documentation.

Hmmm...

I think I would advise all authors of LEGO CAD tools not to read the
documentation for the MLCAD extensions to the LDraw syntax.

If anybody happen to feel an urge to implement some MLCAD compatible extensions
to the LDraw syntax, it is my advise that they re-engineer based on the
behaviour of MLCAD rather than reading the MLCAD documentation.

Maybe it is time that everybody interested in extending the LDraw syntax
started working together on writing a specification for an extended LDraw
syntax.

Play well,

Jacob
--
Jacob's LEGO:
                              http://jacob.sparre.dk/LEGO/

Were these specifications developed by Michael independently, or are they
the result of discussions and suggestions made by members of the ldraw
community?

If they are the result of community discussions, then I don't think they
should be licensed by an individual developer. However, I do think it is ok
for Michael to create an entirely new file format for MLCAD that does not
use any syntax already used by other developers- or discussed for
development by the community- this only includes specific terminology, not
the purpose/idea behind the syntax. This would require a conversion tool
between MLCAD files and dat files (I don't think he would be able to use
native ldraw line types- I may be wrong), but at least he would maintain
control of the file format.

The reason the ideas can not be licensed is because none of them are new.
There are lots of CAD applications available today that feature the same
items. The only thing that can be licensed is the way those features are
implemented. And the way they are interpreted in the file syntax.

Adam



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Description of MLCad extensions available now
 
(...) No idea. (I am not going to read that document, while Michael claims that its contents are covered by the quoted license) (...) Yes of course, but file formats are (AFAIK) not covered by copyright. If Michael wants to protect a file format, he (...) (22 years ago, 22-Jul-02, to lugnet.cad.dev)

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