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Member since 11/11/03
Posts: 1773
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Posted on: 4/17/06 11:04 PM ET
My DD is a high school junior and very good in computer science. As part of her IB requirments she had to submit a program. Let's just say her program, which she worked on a huge amount of time, might have some commercial application on certain web sites (not sewing related though.) It would need some tweaking but it could be incorporated in certain sites and might help generate revenue. (Her teacher in reviewing it says it will get the top grade - - he said is was very impressive.)

Anyway, I was wondering if there is anyway to sell or lease this to such a site. This is not a super big deal, a little money might be nice but given that she's a hs student, bragging rights on a college appication might be just as valuable.

Does anyone know how one would go about this and if it's even worth it? Can you patent such things or is it automatically copywrited?
  
Member since 4/11/02
Posts: 10809
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Posted on: 4/17/06 11:57 PM ET
It is technically automatically copyrighted just by virtue that she wrote it. But in order to have the full protection of the law, she needs to file a copyright application with the Copyright Office. I wouldn't advise her to sell it or even give it away without first obtaining that copyright documentation and protection. It's not expensive -- $35 I think.
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"I base my fashion sense on what doesn't itch." — Gilda Radner
http://stitchesandseams.blogspot.com
  
Member since 7/11/05
Posts: 3783
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Posted on: 4/18/06 0:41 AM ET
There are also Creative Commons licenses (for the arts and for science applications) and a huge Open Source community of developers/programmer - the latter especially might be worth her exploring if she wants to meet mentors to work collaboratively with her to help develope her concept - and make contacts in the industry and academia.

Here are links to the organizational sites and the Wikipedia articles that discuss them and the pros/cons of using these licensing agreements:

OpenSource Intiative

Creative Commons Wiki

Open source Wiki

Creative Commons orgCreative Commons.org
-- Edited on 4/18/06 0:50 AM --
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I am going for a level of perfection that is only mine... Most of the pleasure is in getting that last little piece perfect...Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just keep showing up and doing the work.

Chuck Close, painter, printmaker, photographer

Hope has two lovely daughters: Anger and Courage

St. Augustine
  
Member since 1/12/04
Posts: 6312
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Posted on: 4/18/06 0:44 AM ET
copyright office

Hopefully here's a link to the U.S. Copyright office. It has lots of information for you.
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Marilyn

January 2009 to January 2010 81 yards out and 71yards in January 2010 to the present 106.7 yards out and 146.5 yards in. January 2011 to the present: 47 yards out and 69 yards in.
  
Member since 12/19/05
Posts: 87
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Posted on: 4/18/06 11:20 AM ET
In terms of selling it, I know my friends wanted me to get money for some of my software (which is probably nowhere as good as hers) just by putting it up on ZNet or one of those sites. People will pay, say through paypal, to download it. She could do a free trial for 15 days or whatever. Advertising it will be the hard part :)
  
Member since 8/19/02
Posts: 549
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Posted on: 4/18/06 12:32 PM ET
I've been researching this myself... I am developing some software in my free time (HA!) that I hope to sell someday. I recently came across this online forum: http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/?biz. They discuss the business of software and focus mostly on small-scale operations. The people who answer questions seem quite knowledgable. You could probably get answers to your questions there or at least get pointed in the right direction.

I know there are web sites out there where you can post your software to be downloaded and purchased. That would probably be the easiest option for your daughter. I don't know the specific sites - I don't plan on selling my software that way so I haven't paid much attention to them.

I hope this helps a little!

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~Karen
http://thingsfromscratch.wordpress.com
  
Member since 11/11/03
Posts: 1773
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Posted on: 4/18/06 3:40 PM ET
Thanks for all the links! This is obviously a huge area I know nothing about; not sure it's worth the time to find out.

Her program is a stand alone program. However, I don't see it as being all the commericaly viable now as the user (which is an ordinary person with a hobby) needs to do a lot of data input to use the program. There is at least one web site I know of that caters to this hobby and already has data online. They could offer her system to their users to manage their hobby. Her software would organize things for then but then also lets them know when the need to buy certain things. This site is also a portal for purveyors of those items, so I could see how this would be a great thing for them.

I just didn't want to approach them and then have them use her idea (because if they think it's a good one they could just hire a programer to do it for them.) and not give her any credit.

Probably just shelve the whole thing for now.
  
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