freely customize RUP templates

[Alex Belisle Turcot]

Hi,

for a long time, at university and work, we have been using RUP's template for our soft. development.

I'm now starting my own company and I'm concerned with the legal aspect of using RUP's templates.

I found open source templates (http://www.eclipse.org/epf). Also found other templates not specific to UP, but still useful (http://readyset.tigris.org).

My question is, if anyone can answer, starting from the OpenUP templates, how much can I legally take from RUP's templates? Most of the words they are using are software engineering vocabulary which are definitly not proprietary to IBM/RUP. I guess the packaging and layout is what it's all about. But OpenUP really copies all that.

As you could guess, a lot of developpers answered me that this was an non-issue, that no one would know. I don't feel this way, I want my stuff to be legal all the way.

So, if anyone can give me some details on how the legal aspect of all this works, it would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Alex
[ June 11, 2006: Message edited by: Alex Turcot ]