DIY Geiger Kits discontinued

But he never released the hardware under open source, regardless where he got the circuit from in the first place. The software is open source, the hardware is not. That is quite a common practice as it allows for the software to be developed by others'. There is no way that what you are suggesting would stand in a court of law, no way. And I'll eat my hat if you can categorically prove I'm wrong. I'm going to put this to the lawyers we use at work and see what they say. I'm sure they would find this interesting.

Just because the circuit is based on another (not open source) circuit does not mean it is open source. Just because the software is open source, it doesn't mean the hardware is. The license you have shared is for the software only. It doesn't cover the hardware. For this to truly be open source, BroHogan would have to write the following on his website (or any other place the files could be downloaded) 'This hardware is open source.' But he has never written that to my knowledge. And as I have said before, the PCB layouts/gerbers etc. are not available. If this was open source hardware they would be available.

The hardware is not open source.

nzoomed wrote:

Kind of pointless to release the code for a project that requires a certain circuit to operate

No, I don't think pointless. It enables others' to help develop the software for a specific piece of hardware. As I said before, this is quite common these days.

but he did publish the schematic freely for others to build

I understood it that he published the circuit to aid people that bought his kit to get them working if they went wrong in building it.

Here is his original blog which is still up goes way back to 2010

That was 14 years ago. The counters and software have drastically changed since. Just because something was said about something, it doesn't mean it applies to a different something now.

Its as good as a public domain project as far as im concerned, even if there was no official declaration on the design itself.

No, not public domain, unless he puts it in the public domain. Just because he publishes something on his website doesn't mean it is public domain. I can't go around using other people's literature or photos they publish on the web, unless the owner states so, or licences them under some open license.

I could change the click circuit and then its new work anyway.

The click circuit isn't used on the GK Radmon or GK Radmon Plus.

You can actually see others contributions here in the comments with some improved schematics.

For the original circuit, which isn't used in the Radmon or Radmon Plus. Maybe some part it, I haven't studied it that much so I don't know. I have little intention of studying it either.

Lots of ways to get around it if you want to be technical.

You mean 'lots of ways to not get caught out copying someone else's IP'? You still have to design the board anyway unless you can get the files.

Why don't you just ask BroHogan. All this time and effort posting/replying etc. and you could have it done and dusted with just one email. Or have an answer that you can't. Either way, you get a solid answer.

I do intend on asking our lawyers, but I'm not going to make a special call for it (they will want to charge me most likely for guidance.) So I'll throw it into a conversation when I am speaking with them at some point. It may not be that soon.

It just dawned on me - there is no license for the circuit, nor the PCB designs/layouts. It can't be open source without a license! Period. The software is, and that has it's license, but there is no license for the hardware at all.