[sldev] Linden Lab OpenJPEG contest on TopCoder

[Vector Hastings]

I'm guessing the motive is to make money. You only lose rights to your
algorithm if you win money... so that would be your compensation. How
they'll make money is their business. If they sell it to LL, then it may
become part of an OpenSource project, in which case I'm just guessing that
they want absolute rights in order to distribute it for free.


Gold might not be so bad, what would bother me if I was in your shoes would
be losing rights for the second prize purse. :-\

You have my sympathy for the intellectual property angst involved.

good luck,

Vector

-----Original Message-----
From: sldev-bounces at lists.secondlife.com
[mailto:sldev-bounces at lists.secondlife.com]On Behalf Of Callum Lerwick
Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2009 4:16 PM
To: sldev
Subject: [sldev] Linden Lab OpenJPEG contest on TopCoder


Is this for real?

http://forums.topcoder.com/?module=Thread&threadID=634679&start=0&mc=1#10710
16
http://www.topcoder.com/tc?module=MatchDetails&rd=13772
http://forums.topcoder.com/?module=ThreadList&forumID=526417&mc=121

My googling and searching of mailing lists and LL blogs reveals no
mention of TopCoder at all, that I can find. Is LL really behind this?
Only other thing I can find is this:

http://studio.topcoder.com/?module=ViewContestDetails&ct=1000525

I only found out about it because I have someone emailing me for tips.
This treads directly on my territory and I'm going to be very annoyed if
people are winning thousands of dollars for something I've been pouring
hundreds of man hours into over the past two years without any such
direct compensation.

Also the rules are very concerning:

http://www.topcoder.com/tc?module=MatchRules&rd=13772

"If TopCoder compensates you for your submission, then you agree to
irrevocably and unconditionally transfer and assign to TopCoder all
right, title and interest you have, may have or acquire in, such
submission"

"You further agree that any and all works of authorship created,
authored or developed by you hereunder which TopCoder compensates you
for shall be deemed to be "works made for hire" within the meaning of
the United States Copyright Law and, as such, all rights therein
including copyright shall belong solely and exclusively to TopCoder from
the time of their creation."

Or in short "You sign over your soul to TopCoder" which makes me
hesitant to participate, and makes me question the motives of those
behind the contest. This is very much the opposite of open
collaboration.

So, seriously WTF? Does this all sound fair to you? Because I'm sure
feeling cheated.


Incidentally I recently posted some patches that give a 30-35% speedup
of the decoder:

http://groups.google.com/group/openjpeg/browse_thread/thread/4d27b0eaeba39c8
a