The open source licenses I have looked at cover "modifications to the
software".

Now suppose I have developed a useful hack in language X, which could
readily be translated into language Z. Can someone else make that
translation and claim ownwership of that software?

I am thinking that "modification" might include translation, or that I
would have to explicitly mention translation in a license--but would
that then hold up?

thx,

ken tilton
clinisys
--
license-discuss archive is at http://crynwr.com/cgi-bin/ezmlm-cgi?3