united-states copyright legal-terms
Can I use this other code in my own commercial projects?
<p>I asked a legal question about the code earlier. In this other code, there are no copyrights. It even says this:</p>

<p>This is the Readme File</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>All rights reserved.</p>
  
  <p>No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any way, stored in retrieval system of any type, or transmitted by any means or media, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopy, recording, or scanning, or replication in whole or in part without prior permission in writing from the publisher.</p>
  
  <p>...</p>
  
  <p>All brand names and product names mentioned in this CD-ROM are trademarks or service marks of their respective companies. Any omission or misuse (of any kind) of service marks or trademarks should not be regarded as intent to infringe on the property of others. The publisher recognizes and respects all marks used by companies, manufacturers, and developers as a means to distinguish their products.</p>
  
  <p>CHARLES RIVER MEDIA titles are available for site license or bulk purchase by institutions, user groups, corporations, etc. For additional information, please contact the Special Sales Department at 800-347-7707.</p>
  
  <p>LIMITED WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY THIS PRODUCT MAY BE USED ON A SINGLE PC ONLY. THE LICENSE DOES NOT PERMIT THE USE ON A NETWORK (OF ANY KIND). YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT THIS LICENSE GRANTS PERMISSION TO USE THE PRODUCTS CONTAINED HEREIN, BUT DOES NOT GIVE YOU RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP TO ANY OF THE CONTENT OR PRODUCT CONTAINED ON THIS DVD. USE OF THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE CONTAINED ON THIS DVD IS LIMITED TO AND SUBJECT TO LICENSING TERMS FOR THE RESPECTIVE PRODUCTS. USE, DUPLICATION OR DISCLOSURE BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OR ITS AGENCIES ARE LIMITED BY FAR 52.227-7013 OR FAR 52.227-19, AS APPROPRIATE. CHARLES RIVER MEDIA, INC. ("CRM") AND/OR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE WRITING, CREATION OR PRODUCTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING CODE ("THE SOFTWARE"), OR THE THIRD PARTY PRODUCTS CONTAINED ON THIS DVD, CANNOT AND DO NOT WARRANT THE PERFORMANCE OR RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED BY USING THE SOFTWARE. THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE TEXTUAL MATERIAL AND PROGRAMS CONTAINED HEREIN; HOWEVER, WE MAKE NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE PROGRAMS.THE SOFTWARE IS SOLD "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY (EXCEPT FOR DEFECTIVE MATERIALS USED IN MANUFACTURING THE DISC OR DUE TO FAULTY WORKMANSHIP); THE SOLE REMEDY IN THE EVENT OF A DEFECT IS EXPRESSLY LIMITED TO REPLACEMENT OF THE DISC, AND ONLY AT THE DISCRETION OF CRM.</p>
  
  <p>THE AUTHOR, THE PUBLISHER, DEVELOPERS OF THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE, AND ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING OF THIS WORK SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF(OR THE INABILITY TO USE) THE PROGRAMS, SOURCE CODE, OR TEXTUAL MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS PUBLICATION. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF REVENUE OR PROFIT, OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE PRODUCT.</p>
  
  <p>THE USE OF "IMPLIED WARRANTY" AND CERTAIN "EXCLUSIONS" VARY FROM STATE TO STATE, AND MAY NOT APPLY TO THE PURCHASER OF THIS PRODUCT.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>But later,  in the "About the CD-Rom" File,  it says this at the top (this is not the whole file, as it is just about system requirements to run the code):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>About the CD-ROM</p>
  
  <p>The companion CD-ROM to Programming an RTS Game with Direct3D contains all examples referred to in the book. You can use any of the code and/or art found on this CD-ROM in your own projects.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'm pretty sure this means I can use it commercially, as the code does not have any copyrights. </p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>I don't know where you got the idea that the book, or the code in it, has &quot;no copyrights&quot;. Indeed the readme file you quote says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Copyright 2007 by Career &amp; Professional Group, ...</p>
<p>All rights reserved.</p>
<p>No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any way, ...  without prior permission in writing from the publisher.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is almost impossible to create an original document under moderen copyright law that has &quot;no copyright&quot;.</p>
<p>The statement in the &quot;about the CD ROM&quot; that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You can use any of the code and/or art found on this CD-ROM in your own projects.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>does not mean that  there is no copyright, but does mean that you (as an owner of a copy of the book and CD) have bee4n granted a very permissive license to copy and reuse this content. This license is limited to &quot;the code and/or art&quot;, and would not allow you to republish the book, or a modified version of it, as a text on programming, but it <strong>would</strong> allow you use the content in programming projects of your own. As there is no limitation to non-commercial projects, you would be free to use this code and/or art in commercial projects as well. This license does not even require attribution or acknowledgement. But it is still a license, albeit one with an effect not very different from the work being in the public domain.</p>
<p>To summarize. You <strong>can</strong> use the Code from the CD-ROM, as-is or in a modified form, with no legal liability to the author or publisher, because you have been granted permission to do so.</p>
