How to sell open source software?

Monkey Archive Forums/Monkey Discussion/How to sell open source software?

time-killer-games

(Posted 2014) [#1]

I'd like to sell my games when each of them reach the point of looking presentable enough, this includes my games I'm making with Monkey-X, GameMaker:Studio, and all other game engines I'm actively using ATM. But I'd also like to make them open source so not just can I make money from them, but also give my customers the full ability to make (and buy licenses to sell) their own mods of my work.

i.e. replaced images, sounds, story, level layouts, everything even but having to either credit me or pay extra to do so without crediting me. But assuming what they sell is a *compiled* derivative work, just the binary exe, app, apk, whatever, because I want to be the only one who can sell licenses regarding any bit of the original source and associated media (license for just educational use without distribution should be free).

What led me to believe this kind of thing is even possible, well, Monkey-X (as stated in the homepage) is open source and unexpectedly I found the source to all the targets, even the ones that are supposed to be bought together for $100 are also on the GitHub url the homepage links to. How does Monkey-X differ from what I'd like to do?

So here I ask, how can I go about doing the same? It just looks like a wide open door to people taking and using my work however they want without my permission and I have no idea how to prevent this kind of thing. How does Monkey-X successfully pull this off?

I know there is logically speaking no way to prevent people from pirating software, and with my source given out it could also give people a means to steal my work and sell it as if it were their own if I were to make it open source like Monkey-X apparently is.

I know in the US I can pay like $30 per project to get it legitimately copyrighted, so that could get the law on my side, but is that by itself really enough to give me piece of mind? What does BRL do to attempt prevention of software theft and plagiarism?

I'd imagine it isn't exactly easy to track down and successfully sue people who steal from me over the internet - this is something I, like most people, have no experience with, but I would love to learn from the ground-up. I need some advice. What are my options?

Thanks.
~ Samuel Venable

degac

(Posted 2014) [#2]

Well Monkey language is open-source (well, it's defined as 'public domain')
mojo (the graphics+other engine) - what really make Monkey ... Monkey! - is still proprietary.

And about protection: there are several ways, but none is 100% sure. Piracy will win. So dont' bother about it.

Probably only for stores (like Itunes, Play etc) there is some kind of implicit security about piracy, but nothing about cloning your game (see FlappyBird!).

So, create your games at the best of your capabilities, promote them, and if there is piracy this means you have a 'killer app'... and someone buy it!

dawlane

(Posted 2014) [#3]

I need some advice. What are my options?

This is the best advice you will ever receive......
Go and see a lawyer that deals with such matters. Each country has it's own laws, so asking here will not get you a straight answer. What laws apply to your country will not apply to others.

unexpectedly I found the source to all the targets, even the ones that are supposed to be bought together for $100 are also on the GitHub url the homepage links to..

Look deeper you will see that the Mojo module has only the native code for Desktop and HTML5. The other Mojo targets are closed source and only available to those who have purchased the Pro version. But Pro users don't have direct access to the main code base.

Edit: Here's something that is worth a read.