Hi, I still need to ask you more questions to make an estimate of the new project but I think it's a good idea to give you a rough estimate now so you can decide if we should continue to discuss it further. The price is probably $900 to $1200. It may take 1.5 to 2 month to complete. By the way, I cannot use the code of the script(www.grr-tx.com/tree/) that you gave me. It isn't easy to modify. I have to write it from scratch in my style. ========================================================================================== Hi Tom, I do want to continue it but it puts me in a dilemma, will it be similar enough to his that legally I would need to give him a copy? I have his permission to modify it but I am bearing all the cost, if he decides he wants to sell it I am not going to be happy. If it is different enough I can let him know you can't modify his code but you are going to write me a whole new script, but legally I don't know where I stand since you saw his code to get the idea. I would actually prefer not to have him pay and not let him have a copy because I don't want it sold unless I decide to sell it. Even if it is completely different, I am not sure he wouldn't be able to sue me since you saw his code for the idea. Legally what are my options, will it be similar enough to his that he can sue me if I don't give him a copy? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wonder if we change it enough that he wouldn't be able to sue me, say what if we make it so the donators can upload their own pics of their pets that would go on the ornaments or easter eggs, so instead of a generic ornament (easter egg ect...) we could have blank ornaments, eggs and they could upload a photo of their pet in the center of that ornament (easter egg ect...)? Would something like that be possible? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well I'm not lawyer, so please take my opinion with a grain of salt. Even allowing donators to upload their own pics, the basic "look and feel" won't change much. If you want to avoid being sued, you need to change the interface much more radically. >will it be similar enough to his that legally I would need to give him a copy? It really depends what you promised to give him in return for the source code. >legally I don't know where I stand since you saw his code to get the idea. I feel the same way. >if he decides he wants to sell it I am not going to be happy. I understand but I think it's risky not to give him anything back. ( I'm assuming that you promised him to share the source code of this new project ) You can reduce the amount of the source code that you have to share with him by spliting the script to components. For example, here are three components: A, B, and C. [The conponent A] contest interface(which contains his ideas) [The conponent B] A single-user & single-contest admin panel [The conponent C] A multi-user & multi-contest admin panel We combine A with B, and give it to him. The resulting script is a single-user & single-contest program just like the original christmas tree script(www.grr-tx.com/tree/). Next we combine A with C, and you use it in your website. The resulting script is a multi-user & multi-contest program, as you requested. The conponent C is specific to your business and doesn't contain his idea, so I don't think you need to give it to him. One draw back for spliting into 3 components is that probably the cost will increase by 20% to 30%.