Balder License - changes
A lot of effort has been put into the Balder project, and with the recent work on moving Balder onto multiple platforms and not only Silverlight. I’ve decided its time to change the license a bit.
For anyone using Balder today with Silverlight on the Web/Desktop, there are no changes - with the exception of one thing. If you’re developing a commercial library or package that can be conceived as a competitor to Balder - then you need a commercial license. Other than that, no changes.
The intention of the license change is to start getting commercial opportunities from all the work being put in and to finance the further development of the project. From being something I did a few hours a week, its slowly becoming a project that could easily take my entire attention and then some. And developers need food on the table as well. :)
Anyways, the license I’m proposing is as follows. The price-model for the additional platforms that are being added, has not yet been decided. If you have any input on the license itself, please leave a comment, drop me an email or start a discussion on the Codeplex site for Balder.
Balder License v1.0.
This license governs use of the accompanying software. If you use the software, you accept this license. If you do not accept the license, do not use the software.
[Copyrights]
Balder is developed by Einar Ingebrigtsen, DoLittle Studios
Balder uses NInject; http://ninject.org/ - its license, Apache License v2.0 : http://github.com/ninject/ninject/blob/master/LICENSE.txt
Copyright © 2007 - 2010, Einar Ingebrigtsen, DoLittle Studios.
1. Definitions
The terms “reproduce,” “reproduction,” “derivative works,” and “distribution” have the same meaning here as under U.S. copyright law.
A “contribution” is the original software, or any additions or changes to the software.
A “contributor” is any person that distributes its contribution under this license.
“Licensed patents” are a contributor’s patent claims that read directly on its contribution.
Commercial software is defined as software that directly or indirectly generates revenue for the person(s) or company using Balder.
2. Grant of Rights
(A) Copyright Grant- Subject to the terms of this license, including the license conditions and limitations in section 3, each contributor grants you a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free copyright license to reproduce its contribution, prepare derivative works of its contribution, and distribute its contribution or any derivative works that you create.
(B) Patent Grant- Subject to the terms of this license, including the license conditions and limitations in section 3, each contributor grants you a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license under its licensed patents to make, have made, use, sell, offer for sale, import, and/or otherwise dispose of its contribution in the software or derivative works of the contribution in the software.
3. Conditions and Limitations
(A) No Trademark License- This license does not grant you rights to use any contributors’ name, logo, or trademarks.
(B) If you bring a patent claim against any contributor over patents that you claim are infringed by the software, your patent license from such contributor to the software ends automatically.
(C) Commercial software in the form of software libraries that directly or indirectly could be conceived as competitor of Balder, must refer to the commercial section of this license.
(D) Only the Silverlight version targeting Silverlight for the Web and Desktop are granted a royalty-free license and can be used freely in any commercial, open source, closed source, academic version.
(E) If you distribute any portion of the software, you must retain all copyright, patent, trademark, and attribution notices that are present in the software.
(F) If you distribute any portion of the software in source code form, you may do so only under this license by including a complete copy of this license with your distribution. If you distribute any portion of the software in compiled or object code form, you may only do so under a license that complies with this license.
(G) The software is licensed “as-is.” You bear the risk of using it. The contributors give no express warranties, guarantees or conditions. You may have additional consumer rights under your local laws which this license cannot change. To the extent permitted under your local laws, the contributors exclude the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.
4. Commercial, closed source, open source and academic
(A) The Silverlight version of Balder, targeting the Silverlight platform used on the Web and the desktop is the only version that is free to use. Other versions, such as Windows Phone 7, iPhone/iPad (iOS), XNA for Windows, XNA for Windows, XNA in general, Android and WPF needs a commercial license.
Commercial libraries that is based partly or fully on Balder and is sold commercially, must obtain a commercial license.
Commercial license(s) can be obtained from DoLittle Studios; license@dolittle.com.
(B) Academic and Open Source
Academic and other Open Source projects may use Balder free of charge as long as the license is included during distribution, if any - as stated in Section 3 - F.
(C) Any closed source projects were the source code is not enclosed during distribution may use Balder freely on any of its supported platforms as long as it complies with paragraph A.