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- The TAPR Open Hardware License Version 1.0 (May 25, 2007) Copyright 2007 TAPR
- - http://www.tapr.org/OHL
-
- PREAMBLE
-
- Open Hardware is a thing - a physical artifact, either electrical or mechanical
- - whose design information is available to, and usable by, the public in a
- way that allows anyone to make, modify, distribute, and use that thing. In
- this preface, design information is called "documentation" and things created
- from it are called "products."
-
- The TAPR Open Hardware License ("OHL") agreement provides a legal framework
- for Open Hardware projects. It may be used for any kind of product, be it
- a hammer or a computer motherboard, and is TAPR's contribution to the community;
- anyone may use the OHL for their Open Hardware project.
-
- Like the GNU General Public License, the OHL is designed to guarantee your
- freedom to share and to create. It forbids anyone who receives rights under
- the OHL to deny any other licensee those same rights to copy, modify, and
- distribute documentation, and to make, use and distribute products based on
- that documentation.
-
- Unlike the GPL, the OHL is not primarily a copyright license. While copyright
- protects documentation from unauthorized copying, modification, and distribution,
- it has little to do with your right to make, distribute, or use a product
- based on that documentation. For better or worse, patents play a significant
- role in those activities. Although it does not prohibit anyone from patenting
- inventions embodied in an Open Hardware design, and of course cannot prevent
- a third party from enforcing their patent rights, those who benefit from an
- OHL design may not bring lawsuits claiming that design infringes their patents
- or other intellectual property.
-
- The OHL addresses unique issues involved in the creation of tangible, physical
- things, but does not cover software, firmware, or code loaded into programmable
- devices. A copyright-oriented license such as the GPL better suits these creations.
-
- How can you use the OHL, or a design based upon it? While the terms and conditions
- below take precedence over this preamble, here is a summary:
-
- * You may modify the documentation and make products based upon it.
-
- * You may use products for any legal purpose without limitation.
-
- * You may distribute unmodified documentation, but you must include the complete
- package as you received it.
-
- * You may distribute products you make to third parties, if you either include
- the documentation on which the product is based, or make it available without
- charge for at least three years to anyone who requests it.
-
- * You may distribute modified documentation or products based on it, if you:
-
- * License your modifications under the OHL.
-
- * Include those modifications, following the requirements stated below.
-
- * Attempt to send the modified documentation by email to any of the developers
- who have provided their email address. This is a good faith obligation - if
- the email fails, you need do nothing more and may go on with your distribution.
-
- * If you create a design that you want to license under the OHL, you should:
-
- * Include this document in a file named LICENSE (with the appropriate extension)
- that is included in the documentation package.
-
- * If the file format allows, include a notice like "Licensed under the TAPR
- Open Hardware License (www.tapr.org/OHL)" in each documentation file. While
- not required, you should also include this notice on printed circuit board
- artwork and the product itself; if space is limited the notice can be shortened
- or abbreviated.
-
- * Include a copyright notice in each file and on printed circuit board artwork.
-
- * If you wish to be notified of modifications that others may make, include
- your email address in a file named "CONTRIB.TXT" or something similar.
-
- * Any time the OHL requires you to make documentation available to others,
- you must include all the materials you received from the upstream licensors.
- In addition, if you have modified the documentation:
-
- * You must identify the modifications in a text file (preferably named "CHANGES.TXT")
- that you include with the documentation. That file must also include a statement
- like "These modifications are licensed under the TAPR Open Hardware License."
-
- * You must include any new files you created, including any manufacturing
- files (such as Gerber files) you create in the course of making products.
-
- * You must include both "before" and "after" versions of all files you modified.
-
- * You may include files in proprietary formats, but you must also include
- open format versions (such as Gerber, ASCII, Postscript, or PDF) if your tools
- can create them.
-
- TERMS AND CONDITIONS
-
- 1. Introduction
-
- 1.1 This Agreement governs how you may use, copy, modify, and distribute Documentation,
- and how you may make, have made, and distribute Products based on that Documentation.
- As used in this Agreement, to "distribute" Documentation means to directly
- or indirectly make copies available to a third party, and to "distribute"
- Products means to directly or indirectly give, loan, sell or otherwise transfer
- them to a third party.
-
- 1.2 "Documentation" includes:
-
- (a) schematic diagrams;
-
- (b) circuit or circuit board layouts, including Gerber and other data files
- used for manufacture;
-
- (c) mechanical drawings, including CAD, CAM, and other data files used for
- manufacture;
-
- (d) flow charts and descriptive text; and
-
- (e) other explanatory material.
-
- Documentation may be in any tangible or intangible form of expression, including
- but not limited to computer files in open or proprietary formats and representations
- on paper, film, or other media.
-
- 1.3 "Products" include:
-
- (a) circuit boards, mechanical assemblies, and other physical parts and components;
-
- (b) assembled or partially assembled units (including components and subassemblies);
- and
-
- (c) parts and components combined into kits intended for assembly by others;
- which are based in whole or in part on the Documentation.
-
- 1.4 This Agreement applies to any Documentation which contains a notice stating
- it is subject to the TAPR Open Hardware License, and to all Products based
- in whole or in part on that Documentation. If Documentation is distributed
- in an archive (such as a "zip" file) which includes this document, all files
- in that archive are subject to this Agreement unless they are specifically
- excluded. Each person who contributes content to the Documentation is referred
- to in this Agreement as a "Licensor."
-
- 1.5 By (a) using, copying, modifying, or distributing the Documentation, or
- (b) making or having Products made or distributing them, you accept this Agreement,
- agree to comply with its terms, and become a "Licensee." Any activity inconsistent
- with this Agreement will automatically terminate your rights under it (including
- the immunities from suit granted in Section 2), but the rights of others who
- have received Documentation, or have obtained Products, directly or indirectly
- from you will not be affected so long as they fully comply with it themselves.
-
- 1.6 This Agreement does not apply to software, firmware, or code loaded into
- programmable devices which may be used in conjunction with Documentation or
- Products. Such software is subject to the license terms established by its
- copyright holder(s).
-
- 2. Patents
-
- 2.1 Each Licensor grants you, every other Licensee, and every possessor or
- user of Products a perpetual, worldwide, and royalty-free immunity from suit
- under any patent, patent application, or other intellectual property right
- which he or she controls, to the extent necessary to make, have made, possess,
- use, and distribute Products. This immunity does not extend to infringement
- arising from modifications subsequently made by others.
-
- 2.2 If you make or have Products made, or distribute Documentation that you
- have modified, you grant every Licensor, every other Licensee, and every possessor
- or user of Products a perpetual, worldwide, and royalty-free immunity from
- suit under any patent, patent application, or other intellectual property
- right which you control, to the extent necessary to make, have made, possess,
- use, and distribute Products. This immunity does not extend to infringement
- arising from modifications subsequently made by others.
-
- 2.3 To avoid doubt, providing Documentation to a third party for the sole
- purpose of having that party make Products on your behalf is not considered
- "distribution,"\" and a third party's act of making Products solely on your
- behalf does not cause that party to grant the immunity described in the preceding
- paragraph.
-
- 2.4 These grants of immunity are a material part of this Agreement, and form
- a portion of the consideration given by each party to the other. If any court
- judgment or legal agreement prevents you from granting the immunity required
- by this Section, your rights under this Agreement will terminate and you may
- no longer use, copy, modify or distribute the Documentation, or make, have
- made, or distribute Products.
-
- 3. Modifications
-
- You may modify the Documentation, and those modifications will become part
- of the Documentation. They are subject to this Agreement, as are Products
- based in whole or in part on them. If you distribute the modified Documentation,
- or Products based in whole or in part upon it, you must email the modified
- Documentation in a form compliant with Section 4 to each Licensor who has
- provided an email address with the Documentation. Attempting to send the email
- completes your obligations under this Section and you need take no further
- action if any address fails.
-
- 4. Distributing Documentation
-
- 4.1 You may distribute unmodified copies of the Documentation in its entirety
- in any medium, provided that you retain all copyright and other notices (including
- references to this Agreement) included by each Licensor, and include an unaltered
- copy of this Agreement.
-
- 4.2 You may distribute modified copies of the Documentation if you comply
- with all the requirements of the preceding paragraph and:
-
- (a) include a prominent notice in an ASCII or other open format file identifying
- those elements of the Documentation that you changed, and stating that the
- modifications are licensed under the terms of this Agreement;
-
- (b) include all new documentation files that you create, as well as both the
- original and modified versions of each file you change (files may be in your
- development tool's native file format, but if reasonably possible, you must
- also include open format, such as Gerber, ASCII, Postscript, or PDF, versions);
-
- (c) do not change the terms of this Agreement with respect to subsequent licensees;
- and
-
- (d) if you make or have Products made, include in the Documentation all elements
- reasonably required to permit others to make Products, including Gerber, CAD/CAM
- and other files used for manufacture.
-
- 5. Making Products
-
- 5.1 You may use the Documentation to make or have Products made, provided
- that each Product retains any notices included by the Licensor (including,
- but not limited to, copyright notices on circuit boards).
-
- 5.2 You may distribute Products you make or have made, provided that you include
- with each unit a copy of the Documentation in a form consistent with Section
- 4. Alternatively, you may include either (i) an offer valid for at least three
- years to provide that Documentation, at no charge other than the reasonable
- cost of media and postage, to any person who requests it; or (ii) a URL where
- that Documentation may be downloaded, available for at least three years after
- you last distribute the Product.
-
- 6. NEW LICENSE VERSIONS
-
- TAPR may publish updated versions of the OHL which retain the same general
- provisions as the present version, but differ in detail to address new problems
- or concerns, and carry a distinguishing version number. If the Documentation
- specifies a version number which applies to it and "any later version", you
- may choose either that version or any later version published by TAPR. If
- the Documentation does not specify a version number, you may choose any version
- ever published by TAPR. TAPR owns the copyright to the OHL, but grants permission
- to any person to copy, distribute, and use it in unmodified form.
-
- 7. WARRANTY AND LIABILITY LIMITATIONS
-
- 7.1 THE DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED ON AN"AS-IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
- KIND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
- IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
- FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND TITLE, ARE HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED.
-
- 7.2 IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW WILL ANY LICENSOR BE LIABLE
- TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL,
- PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO
- USE, THE DOCUMENTATION OR PRODUCTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CLAIMS OF
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INFRINGEMENT OR LOSS OF DATA, EVEN IF THAT PARTY HAS
- BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
-
- 7.3 You agree that the foregoing limitations are reasonable due to the non-financial
- nature of the transaction represented by this Agreement, and acknowledge that
- were it not for these limitations, the Licensor(s) would not be willing to
- make the Documentation available to you.
-
- 7.4 You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold each Licensor harmless from any
- claim brought by a third party alleging any defect in the design, manufacture,
- or operation of any Product which you make, have made, or distribute pursuant
- to this Agreement.
-
- ####
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