Writing my own license...

adamdecaf · 08-17-2009, 05:47 PM

Remarking from this post and realizing that the MIT License is indeed "too loose" (Thanks VI), I've decided to write my own license to release my own software under.

All are free to use this license with their software, provided that this license has reached version 1.0.0.

Here is the license in full, I'm looking for any advice on modifying it.

A link to the current version of the license.

Code:

== The Decaf Productions License ==

The Decaf Productions License
<http://decafproductions.com/license.php>

COPYRIGHT (C) <year> <copyright holder(s)>
08/17/2009

Forward:
Open source software is founded on the principle of free and open software creation
along with equal distribution rights. This license aims to describe fair and equal rights
to individual people, businesses and organizations for distribution of their software and
any applicable source, documentation and/or documentation.

Terms:
"3rd party" - Any applicable author(s) of software, source code or any documentation
that complies with this license and increases the overall experience with this software.

"this license" - The current applicable Decaf Productions License.

"software" - Any version of "completed" or "distributable" copy of the source code.

"source code" - The applicable or fundamental lines of code that make the software
perform its specified task(s).

License:
This license hereby grants any individual person(s) full access to modify, distribute, copy,
use, publish, and merge any part of the containing software without limitation free of
charge. This license denies the right of any non author to sell, profit from and alter the
software under the restraints of another license or a non applicable version of this license.

Any access to any of the source code attached with this license may never be granted
because of a monetary gain to the distributor. The attached source code must be distributed
at no cost to any recipient. However, any additional source code added by a 3rd party may
be licensed at the discretion of its author(s) and released to another party at monetary gain
of that 3rd party's author(s).

The software, source code or any documentation released by the author(s) of the original
software, source code, or any documentation may never be released under the restraints of
another license. The only option for change of limitations is to release all of the software,
source code, or any documentation into the public domain.

The original author(s) of the software, source code, or and documentation cannot be held
responsible for any effects of the software, this includes: "acts of god", natural disasters,
mis configured software and hardware, unexpected changes of website traffic, outages,
maintenance, altered software, source code, and any documentation attached.

This software, source code and any documentation is provided in the format of the original
author(s) and must be maintained in that format, extra 3rd party additions can be added
but only if they maintain the current structure of the software, source code and any
documentation to the requirement of the original author(s).

By installing, using, changing, or adapting any existing software which is associated with the
software, source code and any documentation released under this license you agree to all of
this licenses terms, conditions, requirements, and you agree to uphold this license to your
highest availability.

v0.0.2

Village Idiot · 08-17-2009, 06:07 PM

Too wordy, too hard to read. It took me a number of reads through each paragraph to understand it. Here is what I took out of it:
1. This code is free and may not be sold for profit
2. The author is not responsible for anything that it does
3. All derivative software must use this license

Some improvements
1. Don't explain free software
2. Less wordy, it sounds like you are trying too hard to be all technical.
3. Don't explain no warranty so much, listing each instance off (especially 'acts of god') is not needed

The not to be sold one is a gochya, that would restrict me from using it for my clients. The profit from restricts it heavily, you mean that I can not use the software for a site that I will make money from? There goes all your business and 99% of your domestic crowd.

adamdecaf · 08-17-2009, 07:02 PM

First off thanks, second I'm trying to stop people from selling the software but also allowing them to use the software for profit. I didn't think I was restricting them from doing such.

- Adam

ETbyrne · 08-17-2009, 08:52 PM

Quote:

First off thanks, second I'm trying to stop people from selling the software but also allowing them to use the software for profit. I didn't think I was restricting them from doing such.

Yeah that's exactly what I want to accomplish

adamdecaf · 08-17-2009, 08:55 PM

Please delete me.

adamdecaf · 08-18-2009, 12:21 AM

*Double Post*

Here is a revised copy:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AT...hwdDRkNg&hl=en

Code:

== The Decaf Productions License ==

The Decaf Productions License
<http://decafproductions.com/license.php>

COPYRIGHT (C) <year> <copyright holder(s)>
08/17/2009

Terms:
"3rd party" - Any applicable author(s) of software, source code or any documentation
that complies with this license and increases the overall experience with this software.
Also this collective must release source code, software, or documentation towards the
original software, source code or documentation.

"this license" - The current applicable Decaf Productions License.

"software" - Any version of "completed" or "distributable" the source code, this is determined
by the original author(s).

"source code" - The actual lines of programming code which the program uses to coordinate
and perform its specified task(s).

License:
This license hereby grants any individual person(s), company, or organization full access to
modify, distribute, copy, use, publish, and merge any part of the containing software, source
code, and documentation without limitation and free of charge. This license denies the right
of any non author to sell and alter the software either under the restraints of another license,
a non applicable version of this license, or for a monetary gain.

Access to the source code or documentation attached with this license may never be granted
as a result of monetary gain to the distributor. The attached source code must be distributed
at no cost to any recipient. However, any additional source code added by a 3rd party may
be licensed at the discretion of its author(s) and released to another party at monetary gain
of that 3rd party's author(s) so long as the addition is distributed separately from the original
software, source code, and documentation.

The software, source code or any documentation released by the author(s) of the original
software, source code, or any documentation may never be released under the restraints of
another license. The only option for change of limitations is to release all of the software,
source code, or any documentation into the public domain this is up to the discretion of the
original author(s).

This software, source code and any documentation is provided in the format of the original
author(s) and must be maintained in that format, extra 3rd party additions can be added
but only if they maintain the current structure of the software, source code and any
documentation to the requirement of the original author(s).

The original author(s) of the software, source code, or and documentation cannot be held
responsible for any effects of the software. Any 3rd party additions are the responsibility of
those authors.

By installing, using, changing, or adapting any existing software which is associated with the
software released with this license, source code and any documentation released under this
license you agree and are bound to all of this licenses terms, conditions, requirements.

v0.5

The main goals of the license.

Grant full access to individuals, companies, organizations to use, edit and distribute the software/ source code. (Free of charge)
Prevent anyone who isn't an author from selling the original software, source code or documentation.
Force distribution of the source code (not actual software [aka, pay to use is allowed]) to be free and open.
Allow 3rd party developers/companies/organizations to create extensions ("addons", "plugins") and distribute those additions at their discretion and at a monetary gain to those author(s) (also under another license).
Prevent any of the original source code to be released under a different license, the only other choice is public domain.
Any 3rd party additions must be distributed separately from the original source code and must maintain the current structure of the applicable original software and source code.
The original author(s) cannot be held responsible for any effects of the software, source code or documentation.
By using or editing the software you agree and are bound by these terms.