i am shortly releasing an open source craigslist clone - actual working script is installed @ www.railslist.com. i am a bit concerned if there would be any legal issues. The reason is, this script exactly looks like craigslist. you can have a look at it and let me know your views. i have only 6 more hours for the release.
The issue here is whether the "look and feel" is similar enough to give grounds for a claim of passing off. I fear you may need professional legal advice on this! One thing I've seen done in similar cases is to put a clear disclaimer on the site saying "Not affiliated with or connected to craigslist in any way." But I'm never sure whether these are a good idea or not, since you are, in effect, admitting that you *know* the site looks like craigslist.
Forgot to add - I assume you are not using any HTML, CSS or similar from craigslist? That would bring you into copyright infringement, which is a whole 'nother area.
Thanks for bringing "passing off" point. I just read it but couldn't decide. Guess only legal experts can. May be I should change the color, post a disclaimer and release it. I used the term "craigslist" to mean "classifieds". Its like "google it" used for "search it"
That is a blatant rip off of Craigslist and you should most certainly be concerned. You have copied the idea, the look, the feel, the colors. I see nothing on that site other than the name that is not a total copy of Craigslist - oh wait, I get it, that too is a copy.
Is it the color's that are ugly or the navigation?. Whilee I agree with you that it is ugly, there seem to be many people who want to 'clone' it. Not sure why.
mmm....Good idea. May be I'll release 2 versions one with Web 2.0 and one without. Web 2.0 would drastically reduce G revenue as there wont be much page submit and refresh.. Any suggestions for TO DO list would be appreciated. The script can be downloaded @ http://www.classifiedscript.in
I would say leave the look as it is provided that the user has the ability to change it. I would suggest that you avoid trying to redo the theme, let the user decide how it should look. Use your effort to provide more functions. In fact I would say that this is very important since having a ton of exact clones of craiglist will do no-one any good.
The goal is to provide a usable free open source classifieds script. As for as I have seen there are excellent free Operating Systems, Tools, Forums script available but I have not seen any free classifieds script. This made me to provide a free one. All I am awaiting actual user's feedback so that I can improve it and release it as next version.
looks good.. may be i can use your script for one of my upcoming projects. just a quick question. do you offer temp email feature as CL as well in this script?
As of now this temp email feature is not provided as it is assumed that everybody prefers to communicate using their own email ids.