Can I integrate Helios Calender wtih Modx

I am interested in using helios calender and including an include on a page created by Modx. Please read this forum post that explains their position:
http://www.refreshmy.com/forum/showthread.php?t=509

My question is would Modx have a problem with me installing an include to a paid private script to one of the pages? The post talks about the response from Joomla not ModX.

If so helios would be happy to know as well.

A content management system like MODx is to a PHP web server, what Linux is to a computer IMO: it’s a platform from which you run your applications and serve your content. You can run commercial and open source applications and serve proprietary or open content under any license on Linux and you can do the same in MODx as far as I’m concerned. In MODx content and applications are pretty much interchangeable, thus, I consider any content or code added to a MODx site proprietary content unless it is distributed to others. Even then how you license that is up to you.

So basically, I disagree with Joomla! and the FSF on this, at least in terms of it applying to MODx; unless you are distributing your solution to others, the content and applications you "integrate" into your web site are yours (or your clients), and nobody else’s business. And even when distributing, unless you are modifying or extending core files, I do not see an include from a commercial application you have paid for as any kind of modification to our GPL application. Yes, the way you include it makes it dependent on the framework, but GPL dependencies for a commercial application running on Linux do not require that the commercial application be GPL’d, just that it is not combined with it and modified in such a way to make a derivative solution which might make the original obsolete.

I am not a lawyer, so this is not legal advice, but it’s the best I can do in providing you our perspective and revealing our intentions on this very controversial subject.

Open Geek. Thank you so much that is exactly what I was thinking. Paid sources are run off of GPL sources all the time with no issues.

I appreciate your time! You have made my week! and Thank you!

Update: Just so everyone knows Helios refuses to allow their software to be run on any GPL even though OpenGeek said he had no problem. That really sucks. It’s unfortunate that their is not another events calender in the same price range with their features.

Oh well Modx is more important to my sites than their calender.

Quote from: wbbuilder at Feb 12, 2010, 08:11 PM

Update: Just so everyone knows Helios refuses to allow their software to be run on any GPL even though OpenGeek said he had no problem. That really sucks. It’s unfortunate that their is not another events calender in the same price range with their features.

Oh well Modx is more important to my sites than their calender.

It’s ok if they shoot themselves in the foot, we don’t mind.

Besides, I converted a Helios site to a custom calendar component for MODx in a project last year quite easily. It ended up being too customized to release as a generic solution, but it can be done.

OpenGeek, do you still have that coversion? Another words is it a add on or module for Modx? That is what I need for this project if it’s available.

If not I will piece together several add ons to make something like that work.

Quote from: wbbuilder at Feb 12, 2010, 08:11 PM

Update: Just so everyone knows Helios refuses to allow their software to be run on any GPL even though OpenGeek said he had no problem. That really sucks. It’s unfortunate that their is not another events calender in the same price range with their features.

Oh well Modx is more important to my sites than their calender.

Possibly Im missing the issue here, but your statement "Helios refuses to allow their software to be run on any GPL" does not seem to be correct at all. In the following link, http://www.refreshmy.com/forum/showthread.php?t=509, chris from helios explicitly sez:

"Public Site Integration:
As you know, and is documented here, Helios does offer integration functionality allowing platform non-specific integration with any PHP coded site (be it a custom site, or a packaged system) by using the PHP include function to include Helios Calendar PHP files. In addition it is ok to modify Helios, by editing it’s code or writing new code, to integrate it with your site provided it is for the Licensee’s use and the Licensee’s use doesn’t violate another script or application’s license."

That seems to conflict with your statement above. In short, Helios seems to be saying as long as you have purchased their product, you can integrate it to your hearts content. Of course you can’t buy one copy of helios and then include it in all the sites you create. I definitely would assume you have to purchase a calendar for each site if you are reselling modx templates and including helios as part of them.

wz

Wowzow,

What is in their forums (and I read that post) and what the software owner e-mailed me are two different stories. I not only read that post but another that stated it was up to the user. Chris e-mailed me after I brought up those posts and stated clearly:

"We refuse the right to sell our software to anyone. If we find out you are using our software with any Open Source Software (GPL) including MODx, we will recind your liscense!"

In fact I brought up this quote in particulair to Chris:

Refresh Web Development respects the intellectual property and copyright of all developers and their software. We appreciate that our users will use Helios along side and in conjunction with other resources to build their websites and we encourage our users to ensure they are doing so in accordance with all applicable laws within the terms of any license applied to those resources (scripts, software, images, templates, etc) as is their responsibility to do so.

I also have other e-mails stating even more details. The bottom line is that if you want to purchase their software and then they find out you are using it with MODx they will pull your liscense. I didn’t write this without proof, I am telling you they will fight you on this! I talked to Chris in details and he told me they will refuse to sell me a liscence and will pull if I purchase. So believe his posts in his forum or what he believes now and stated clearly to me. Do you want to pay $165 minimum for them to pull your liscense without a refund? If you don’t believe me then just e-mail Chris. He will tell you the same thing!

Interesting business plan. I wonder if they also want to tell you how to dress while entering events in the calendar?

It’s kind of like selling you a car and saying they’ll repo it if they catch you driving on a public highway.

Quote from: wbbuilder at Feb 27, 2010, 04:06 AM

"We refuse the right to sell our software to anyone. If we find out you are using our software with any Open Source Software (GPL) including MODx, we will recind your liscense!"

Insanity. Thanks for clarifying.


Quote from: BobRay at Feb 27, 2010, 04:58 AM

Interesting business plan. I wonder if they also want to tell you how to dress while entering events in the calendar?

It’s kind of like selling you a car and saying they’ll repo it if they catch you driving on a public highway.

Here, here, Bob. I have run several retail businesses myself over the years, and never have I told a client what to do with the goods or services once they are paid, and handed off to them. Imaging taking back a computer sold, if anything illegal was done with it.

Almost impossible to even fathom a car dealer, or a computer retailer w/ a biz model where they did that...

..yet the commercial software industry doesnt bat an eye over such obscene policy.