Module Manager and Licence questions

[Eadrom]

Greetings!

A little background info first. I am taking my first foray into modding KSP! I am integrating the water resource from TAC Life Support into Interstellar so they both use the same water resource. To do such a thing, I need to edit two of Interstellar's part configs and four of Interstellar's general plugin configs. I am not writing any compiled code right now nor am I changing or including any art.

I first made edits to all the Interstellar configs. Once I got everything working, I took a look at Module Manager. I learned how to make a MM config file and wrote all my changes into one file. I tested out the MM config and it works! So now I'm ready to open up testing to other people. Before I do that, I have a few questions.

First, what do I classify what I created? Is it a plugin? A mod? Basically, when I post this to project board, what am I describing this as? Is it still a plugin if it's a simple change to another plugin? A plugin of a plugin? Heh.

Second, I'm assuming a I need a licence if I post this for other people to use, but what licence should I use? Do I need to consider just the MM, TACLS, and Interstellar licenses since my work is dependent on having all three of these plugins installed? Who am I officially required to give credit to (I want to make sure everyone gets their just due!)? Do I need to include a copy of the license in my download?

Third, are there any requirements as far as where the download needs to be hosted? Like could I host the .zip from my public dropbox folder?

Fourth, since I am not distributing any TACLS, Module Manager, or Interstellar assets, am I required to get permission from any of these plugins' authors prior to distributing my file? (MM is included in Interstellar's download, so I don't need to include anything except my config file.)

Please note that while some of my questions might sound like I'm trying to get away from having to credit people, but that is the opposite of my intentions! I am simply wanting to feel out the minimum requirements so there are no issues in any similar future work I am doing! I have some ideas for better integration of TACLS and Interstellar and some similar ideas for other mods, such as Kethane. A lot of plugin devs are opening their plugin to other people with hooks and API's for other people to use. I think this is a great way for me to get into KSP modding.

Thank you in advance to everyone that helps me understand this stuff better!

Edited December 22, 2013 by Eadrom

[sarbian]

Wow, I never considered that

What you created is a "Addon". Plugin are compiled code distributed as a dll, and fall under different rules in the forum.

The fie your distribute if not a modified file of MM, TACLS & Interstellar so you don't need to consider their licence. The forum rule don't require a "proper juridically valid licence" so you just say "do whatever you want".

The rules list no requirement for hosting

Nope

It does not hurt to ask

Have fun

[Eadrom]

Thank you, Sarbian!

I have another question regarding licenses. Say I start out just making MM configs and just want to be given credit if someone uses my work. Is that ok? Now say I expand my addon to actually include original code that I've written. Am I locked in to what the original "just give me credit" license or if I need to, could I make it something a bit more restrictive?

EDIT:

Mayhaps http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSD_licenses#3-clause this would work for me?

Edited December 22, 2013 by Eadrom

[Greys]

Every discrete release you make is able to have a different license applied to it; but further every categorization of thing in your whateveryoumake is allowed to have a different license

So for example your releases could look as follows

V0.1.0
Contains: Cfg edits
Public Domain

V0.4.8
Contains: Cfg edits & simple assets
edits: PD
assets: CC-BY

V1.7.3
Contains: cfg edits, assets, & plugin
edits: PD
assets: CC-ND
Plugin: Kethane License

If you release something under a license, it will be available under that license forever unless you can bind it under a service agreement; but the license does not carry forward inherently. Each new update is effectively a new instance of that license, and such you can change that license with every new release.

There is an old version of Kethane that is some degree of public, but it's like v2 or something.

[Majiir]

IANAL and all that, but to expand on Greys' post:

When you license a work, generally you (the creator) are not also bound by that license. You have full rights to your own work, so there's nothing prohibiting you from releasing your own work under whatever license you want, even if you have already licensed it in some way that's restrictive (e.g. GPL).

However, if you make a derivative of a licensed work, you are still bound by the terms of that license. For example, if you derive an MIT-licensed program, you can license your derivative however you like, but you must still abide by the terms of the MIT license by including the original copyright notice.

On your original question: You're bound by the license terms of anything from which you make a derivative work. ModuleManager patches are not generally derivative works, but they can be. If you find yourself copy-pasting something from another mod, chances are you're making a derivative work. If in doubt, you can always ask mod authors for explicit permission. We're often happy to grant permission for cases that are ambiguous.