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Is this legal?

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    Is this legal?

    I want to use Alpha five to create reports and maybe an application using the .dbf tables created by another program at work. I am assuming the data belongs to my company and not the application developer. In the past I have used Crystal reports to generate reports for my own programs. My plan is to leave all of the file structure in place unchanged.
    What are rules? How many of you have used Alpha as a report writer? I'm not sure if this would be the best method. I have Crystal Reports V7 that can generate executable programs. I have the v9 run time of Alpha.

    Thanks.....

    #2
    Re: Is this legal?

    Is what (specifically) legal?
    Steve Wood
    See my profile on IADN

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Is this legal?

      Can I freely use the data created by another application in a report or application that I create from Alpha five? My company uses a application for tracking patient info. The program's reports however are limited and doesn't meet our needs. I wanted to use the Data ( which are .dbf tables) to create better reports and a enhanced application using Alpha five. I am creating a new application but using the data from the current program. Would I be violating some type of general agreement or is it specific to a program?

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Is this legal?

        The only person that can answer that is the 'owner' of the data. There is nothing inherently illegal about using a different program to render data in to reports. And you are not violating anything regarding the use of Alpha Five. Data often comes from sources other than the native Alpha dbf tables.
        Steve Wood
        See my profile on IADN

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Is this legal?

          Thanks...just being extra cautious. I work with many paranoid people and I know somebody is going to ask that question when I roll out these reports.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Is this legal?

            Have fun with it, at the bottom of all reports include "it is illegal for you read the above".

            Reminds me of the time my Dad took me and my younger brother out for his 18th birthday for a beer. We told him afterwards the legal age was 21 not 18.
            Steve Wood
            See my profile on IADN

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Is this legal?

              And can you remember what the beer tasted like then?
              Regards
              Keith Hubert
              Alpha Guild Member
              London.
              KHDB Management Systems
              Skype = keith.hubert


              For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Is this legal?

                Developers can get a bit odd regarding the use of their applications (not here of course :). The developer of that app may have an agreement in place that stipulates how the app can be used. But, the developer cannot own the data... that is your company's. The developer may own the right to keep you from using the files to get at the data but that would have to be written up and previously agreed upon - and I can't see any company agreeing to that. Check for agreements and if none exist then you're probably safe in getting at the data.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Is this legal?

                  The Data belongs to the company! If they allow you to access the data, you are clear. The container(dbf) belongs to the programmer. You are not supposed to modify the container without the written consent of the owner. Reasons are many and varied. You can always read that information(including reports), copy that information, but not modify the information outside of the environment written by the programmer.

                  You could make an exact copy of the container and copy the data any place the company owning it agrees to and change the dbf by adding, subtracting or whatever the fields to what you need for your reports.

                  that should give you 2 ways.

                  This has been clarified in court a few times. Another trip to court could change allthat however.

                  I am not an attorney. I do not profess to know the law! This is only experience talking.

                  .
                  Dave Mason
                  [email protected]
                  Skype is dave.mason46

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Is this legal?

                    The legality of a application developer tell you what you can do with their program is debatable. I'm no lawyer, but I can tell you this is contract law and copyright law.

                    There are usually a couple of stipulations:
                    1. You cannot sell your modified product without permission from the original copyright holder.
                    2. You have just broken your contract with the original developer and they do not have to support your product anymore if there was some kind of "warranty" (bug fixes and such).

                    It is a similar situation with people "jail breaking" their iPhones. Apple cannot sue you for doing it yourself, but they will void your warranty.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Is this legal?

                      1. You cannot sell your modified product without permission from the original copyright holder.
                      2. You have just broken your contract with the original developer and they do not have to support your product anymore if there was some kind of "warranty" (bug fixes and such).
                      Answer 1. Frank is talking about making reports and not selling anything with the data in the container and not with the container itself.
                      Answer 2. There is not warranty broken from making reports with data in a container as long as nothing of the original application is not disturbed. The only way to void a software warranty would be to modify the database, data or programming done by the developer.

                      I have not finished this and have to go. I may be able to add more later.
                      Dave Mason
                      [email protected]
                      Skype is dave.mason46

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Is this legal?

                        @DaveM

                        For #1, I was explaining the situation. Who knows, they could be selling it (I don't personally know Frank).
                        For #2, Frank said he wanted to make an application also, which could conceivably modify the .dbf.

                        I think we are on the same page though.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Is this legal?

                          Thanks for all the input......
                          My original goal was to create reports that the program does not produce . I am not changing the structure. In addition I was in the process of developing a separate application. Instead of entering the data I thought I would import the data from the files into the new application. The data is specific to my company and would save time from traditional data entry. The original data would remain unchanged.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Is this legal?

                            I don't believe you can copy and change the dbf's - they most likely are the property of the developer. You can, however, get at the data and do whatever you wish with that... unless a specific agreement is in place that prevents you from doing so.

                            So, you should be able to import your data into a database of your creation and work create new reports. You should also be able to attach to the original dbf's and create new reports.

                            If developers do not want you to get at the data or data structures then the dbf's would be locked down as well as the app.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Is this legal?

                              Way back when I had ver 4 (dos) I can remember finding at Radio Shack a computer program for Amateur Radio call signs. I think I paid $5.00 for it as they were trying to get rid of it. It had the call signs of nearly 600,000 Ham operators. On that program was an export file. I can't remember what file it exported to, but I was able to import it into a dbf file and pick it up using Alpha Four and I made a better program. The license in the software stated that the database was propietary (the call sign files) information. This meant that whomever wrote the program owned the data files, However I disagreed with him because he got the files from the FCC. He probably had to pay a fee to purchase them from the FCC, but the database was public information and he could not claim propietary ownership. Never heard back from the owner. I kept my program for personal use. So maybe it might be considerate to ask the owner of the program for permission to use his database files.

                              Jerry

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