What constitutes "Powered by vBulletin"?

[WetWired]

Quite simply, under what conditions must the copyright message be displayed?
Only in pre-existing scripts and derivatives?
also if you create an original script that require()s a piece of vBulletin code that on its own doesn't add it?
also if you manipulate the vBulletin forum on a page using completely original code without including (through the language or through cut-and-paste) any vBulletin code?

I ask because I am about to create an elaborate portal system that will use some parts of a vBulletin forum such as username registration and polls, and would like to not have to put the vBulletin copyright notice, etc. at the bottom of every page if I can help it.

While on the one hand I am very persistant and would create a new and separate user registration system and mod vB to use that instead of its own if I had to so as to technically not use the board at all to not display the copyright notice on my portal, I am also lazy and would not resort to this unless necessary.

P.S. Just to make this perfectly clear, I am not talking about removing the copyright notice from any pre-existing part of vBulletin, only about not putting it on my new parts

[Steve Machol]

I believe you only need this in the footer template of any vB script, whether it's modified or not. If it's not a vB script then you don't need to add this.

[WetWired]

And if it require()s a vb script?

[Steve Machol]

Good question. I'm not a legal authority so I don't know. Send an email to [email protected] and we'll try to get an authoritative answer for you.

[Wayne Luke]

If the script is originally supplied to you by Jelsoft in your vBulletin package it needs to have this issue. If you use our back end to power your site, we would like for you to mention it but it is not required on any script you right.

[Floris]

You could also pay Jelsoft a fee to have the copyright removed, then you have the rights to remove the copyright from any vB page.

[WetWired]

If the script is originally supplied to you by Jelsoft in your vBulletin package it needs to have this issue. If you use our back end to power your site, we would like for you to mention it but it is not required on any script you right.

Okay, thanks for the answer. I've already written my own database abstraction class anyway, and I suspect that I will end up only interfacing with the database, but it's good to know where the line stands.

You could also pay Jelsoft a fee to have the copyright removed, then you have the rights to remove the copyright from any vB page.

The point of the post script to the original post was to prevent any posts such as yours. I am well aware of that condition. I have no problem with pointing all interested parties toward Jellsoft for an awesome BB system, but to give Jellsoft credit for something that I will spend months creating and which is 99 percent my original work is a different matter.