I have written a standalone program which generates a collection of glyphs based on text (as the current web-based "glyphy tool" does), but with a few extras. It has no 40x40 limit, it generates a graphic which can be snipped and used as a whole, and it generates either HTML suitable for this forum (as the glyphy tool does) or as its own HTML document.
I'm willing to make this open source, but currently it uses the GIF files from the glyphy tool. I do not know the IP status of these files; I don't want to upset anyone who has ownership of them, or even just thinks they do, but I've been unable to find any such person. I know some were created by members of the forum 20 years ago and more; were they ever put in the public domain?
Someone using the tool also uses them, of course, but that's a different use than writing a different program to use them. I don't know what a court would make of that, but, more importantly, I don't know what ownership any individual feels they have of them.
So can anyone shed any light on this? I've emailed the people I can find that I thought might know something, and have gotten no replies. I suppose I can make a different set of 75 GIF files, but in fact I thought people here would like it better if it did use the same glyphs; why learn two sets?
I'm willing to make this open source, but currently it uses the GIF files from the glyphy tool. I do not know the IP status of these files; I don't want to upset anyone who has ownership of them, or even just thinks they do, but I've been unable to find any such person. I know some were created by members of the forum 20 years ago and more; were they ever put in the public domain?
Someone using the tool also uses them, of course, but that's a different use than writing a different program to use them. I don't know what a court would make of that, but, more importantly, I don't know what ownership any individual feels they have of them.
So can anyone shed any light on this? I've emailed the people I can find that I thought might know something, and have gotten no replies. I suppose I can make a different set of 75 GIF files, but in fact I thought people here would like it better if it did use the same glyphs; why learn two sets?