[Python-ideas] I have an encrypted python module format: .pye

[Bruce Leban]

On Mon, May 14, 2012 at 11:00 AM, Mike Graham <mikegraham at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, May 14, 2012 at 1:46 PM, Guido van Rossum <guido at python.org>
> wrote:> If you look into legal ways of protecting physical property you'll
> > find that having locks, fences etc. is often necessary for legal
> > protection to apply. That's why so often you'll find "no trespassing"
> > signs (in Holland these even have a specific reference to the law on
> > them).
>
> This is very true, but I think I might be missing something about your
> point. Are there places where intellectual property has similar laws
> or policies?
>

<IANAL>

Both patent and copyright law have the concept of 'willful infringement'
and 'proper notice'. Taking the right steps to make sure the person
receiving your IP is aware of your copyright and patent rights can make
them a willful infringer and subject to harsher penalties. Conversely,
failure to use proper notices means you have less protection. (It used to
be that the mere absence of a copyright notice would put your work in the
public domain but that is no longer the case.)

If you obfuscate the code, the reader of the code cannot claim that you
didn't mind if they read it. It makes your intent clear. While simply
compiling source to byte codes obfuscates it to some extent, it doesn't
send a clear message that you don't want them to read it. A notice at the
front of the file saying that you don't want them to read it might be just
as good as obfuscation from that standpoint.

</IANAL>

--- Bruce
Follow me: http://www.twitter.com/Vroo http://www.vroospeak.com
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