I am currently working on a project (Android application) for a client. Our contract specifies that I have to deliver the source code at the end of the project and that the client will own the rights for that code. I have no problem with that.
However, to cover some requirements given the deadlines, I had to use:
- Open-source libraries
- Internal libraries (code that had been developed by myself before that project)
- External non-open source libraries
For the Open Source libraries, I checked that the license was compatible, so there is no issue here. My main concern is how do you deal with the rest?
Do you give away you internal libraries/personnal work along with the project?
PS : internal libraries, because they contain some Android widgets and layouts cannot be packaged as a JAR file, so source code would have to be provided, which is where I don’t feel comfortable.
I suppose this is a judgement on your part. You need to study the contract that you have with you client, their needs, your needs and what you feel comfortable about.
For example: If you use the twitter api then you can’t give them the source code for that, you don’t own it – so its obvious that there is a half way house somewhere.
If you can compile libraries, thats fine – as long as they are well documented and whoever your client passes the code onto to maintain it can use them appropriately.
You should be able to compile most functionality into external libraries if you don’t want to release the source code for them.
Otherwise you will have to redevelop them or ask for a change to the contract. If you didn’t want to give away your source code then you a) shouldn’t use that source code or b) not sign contracts that say you will give away your source.