What is an "All Rights Reserved" License?

[jacob750]

"All Rights Reserved" is mostly used by a copyright holder as a copyright formality.

But what does an "All Rights Reserved" License mean?
What restrictions does an "All Rights Reserved" License impose on an end user?

Thank you.

 

[quincy]

"All Rights Reserved" is mostly used by a copyright holder as a copyright formality.

But what does an "All Rights Reserved" License mean?
What restrictions does an "All Rights Reserved" License impose on an end user?

Example of a software having an "All Rights Reserved" License: [link removed]

Thank you.

It means no exclusive rights are being transferred.

A copyright holder has the exclusive right to reproduce (copy) their work, display or perform the work, distribute the work, and prepare adaptations (derivatives) of their work.

A license is what a copyright holder gives when granting permission to someone else to use their work. When all rights are reserved, no exclusive right in the copyrighted work is being transferred.

 

[jacob750]

Thanks quincy for the quick reply.

What about restrictions on software apart from copying/modifying/selling:
1. Whether it can be used for commercial purpose (using in a commercial environment not selling it)?
2. Whether attribution is required?

 

[quincy]

Thanks quincy for the quick reply.

What about restrictions on software apart from copying/modifying/selling:
1. Whether it can be used for commercial purpose (using in a commercial environment not selling it)?
2. Whether attribution is required?

Those would depend on the terms of the license that has been granted.

 

[jacob750]

Generally, the name of the license defines how it can be used.
Example: GPL can be used for commercial purpose, whereas CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International) can't.

The link I had included in my opening post (which is removed) has a license "All Rights Reserved". There are other places too where a license "All Rights Reserved" is used for a software not a website. There is no file or other source containing license description, terms etc. Only the name "All Rights Reserved" is used as a license.

 

[quincy]

Generally, the name of the license defines how it can be used.
Example: GPL can be used for commercial purpose, whereas CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International) can't.

The link I had included in my opening post (which is removed) has a license "All Rights Reserved". There are other places too where a license "All Rights Reserved" is used for a software not a website. There is no file or other source containing license description, terms etc. Only the name "All Rights Reserved" is used as a license.

"All rights reserved" is an unnecessary addition. It restates what is true of all copyrights. All rights are held by the copyright owner unless specifically transferred to someone else in a written and signed transfer of rights agreement.

It is not the "name" of the license but the "terms and conditions" of the license that matter. You need to look at the license to see what permissions are being granted you by the copyright holder.

 

[jacob750]

It is not the "name" of the license but the "terms and conditions" of the license that matter. You need to look at the license to see what permissions are being granted you by the copyright holder.

There are no terms, conditions or details specified anywhere, which is the problem!

There is no file or other source containing license description, terms etc. Only the name "All Rights Reserved" is used as a license.

 

[quincy]

Are you in the U.S., Jacob?

If there are no terms or conditions, then you are not being granted any permission to use the work other than for personal use only.

For example: When you buy a book, you are purchasing just that single book for your personal use. You can read it, give it away, sell it to someone else, throw it away - but you cannot make copies of the book. The copyright holder retains all copyrights in the book. No exclusive rights were transferred.

To exercise any of the exclusive rights held by the copyright owner (e.g., make copies of the book), you need to acquire a license to do so from the copyright holder.

 

[jacob750]

Are you in the U.S., Jacob?

If there are no terms or conditions, then you are not being granted any permission to use the work other than for personal use only.

For example: When you buy a book, you are purchasing just that single book for your personal use. You can read it, give it away, sell it to someone else, throw it away - but you cannot make copies of the book. The copyright holder retains all copyrights in the book. No exclusive rights were transferred.

Using the above analogy: A book can be used for gaining knowledge which then can be used for commercial gain. In the same way, if I am using (downloading, installing and using) an "All Right Reserved" Licensed software (not a website or website content) personally in a commercial environment (in an organization or personal computer used for commercial purpose) then I think it should not be a problem (would like to know your opinion on this). I am not copying, modifying, hacking, selling or distributing the software without the copyright holder's permission.

 

[quincy]

Using the above analogy: A book can be used for gaining knowledge which then can be used for commercial gain. In the same way, if I am using (downloading, installing and using) an "All Right Reserved" Licensed software (not a website or website content) personally in a commercial environment (in an organization or personal computer used for commercial purpose) then I think it should not be a problem (would like to know your opinion on this). I am not copying, modifying, hacking, selling or distributing the software without the copyright holder's permission.

You can use software for the purpose designed when you purchase the software. You are not purchasing any copyrights in the software, however, so you cannot exercise any of the copyright holder's exclusive rights.

If you learn something from the software, you can use this knowledge, as long as you are not infringing on the copyright holder's rights.

Are you in the U.S., Jacob? What exactly is your legal issue? Have you been threatened with a lawsuit?

 

[jacob750]

I understand that if I am designing a software then I would define how it can and cannot be used by others to avoid being misused.

The issue is when something is not well defined!

I can use a GPL software in a commercial environment (no matter what place in the world) as it is well defined. I can also donate to the GPL based softwares as a form of reciprocation.

There is no official organization or other source defining an "All Rights Reserved" License software (not website).

I want to use some softwares which have an "All Rights Reserved" License which do not have terms, conditions or description specified in a commercial environment. I do not want to run into legal complications afterwards which is why I have created this thread. I hope this clarifies the issue I am trying to post. Thanks.

 

[quincy]

I understand that if I am designing a software then I would define how it can and cannot be used by others to avoid being misused.

The issue is when something is not well defined!

I can use a GPL software in a commercial environment (no matter what place in the world) as it is well defined. I can also donate to the GPL based softwares as a form of reciprocation.
There is no official organization or other source defining an "All Rights Reserved" License software (not website).

I want to use some softwares which have an "All Rights Reserved" License which do not have terms, conditions or description specified in a commercial environment. I do not want to run into legal complications afterwards which is why I have created this thread. I hope this clarifies the issue I am trying to post. Thanks.

Where are you located? What is the name of your state?

What you can do with the software is what the software says you can do with it. If the rights in the software are not being transferred - if all that you know about the software is that "all rights are reserved" - you can do nothing more than use the software as the software was designed to be used.

You will probably want your intended use of the software personally reviewed by an IP attorney in your area, to see if what you want to do can be done without infringing on the copyright owner's rights.