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Andrew Geissler5199d832021-09-24 16:47:35 -05001The TAPR Open Hardware License
2Version 1.0 (May 25, 2007)
3Copyright 2007 TAPR - http://www.tapr.org/OHL
4
5PREAMBLE
6
7Open Hardware is a thing - a physical artifact, either electrical or
8mechanical - whose design information is available to, and usable by,
9the public in a way that allows anyone to make, modify, distribute, and
10use that thing. In this preface, design information is called
11"documentation" and things created from it are called "products."
12
13The TAPR Open Hardware License ("OHL") agreement provides a legal
14framework for Open Hardware projects. It may be used for any kind of
15product, be it a hammer or a computer motherboard, and is TAPR's
16contribution to the community; anyone may use the OHL for their Open
17Hardware project.
18
19Like the GNU General Public License, the OHL is designed to guarantee
20your freedom to share and to create. It forbids anyone who receives
21rights under the OHL to deny any other licensee those same rights to
22copy, modify, and distribute documentation, and to make, use and
23distribute products based on that documentation.
24
25Unlike the GPL, the OHL is not primarily a copyright license. While
26copyright protects documentation from unauthorized copying, modification,
27and distribution, it has little to do with your right to make, distribute,
28or use a product based on that documentation. For better or worse, patents
29play a significant role in those activities. Although it does not prohibit
30anyone from patenting inventions embodied in an Open Hardware design, and
31of course cannot prevent a third party from enforcing their patent rights,
32those who benefit from an OHL design may not bring lawsuits claiming that
33design infringes their patents or other intellectual property.
34
35The OHL addresses unique issues involved in the creation of tangible,
36physical things, but does not cover software, firmware, or code loaded
37into programmable devices. A copyright-oriented license such as the GPL
38better suits these creations.
39
40How can you use the OHL, or a design based upon it? While the terms and
41conditions below take precedence over this preamble, here is a summary:
42
43* You may modify the documentation and make products based upon it.
44
45* You may use products for any legal purpose without limitation.
46
47* You may distribute unmodified documentation, but you must include the
48complete package as you received it.
49
50* You may distribute products you make to third parties, if you either
51include the documentation on which the product is based, or make it
52available without charge for at least three years to anyone who requests
53it.
54
55* You may distribute modified documentation or products based on it, if
56you:
57 * License your modifications under the OHL.
58 * Include those modifications, following the requirements stated
59 below.
60 * Attempt to send the modified documentation by email to any of the
61 developers who have provided their email address. This is a good
62 faith obligation - if the email fails, you need do nothing more
63 and may go on with your distribution.
64
65* If you create a design that you want to license under the OHL, you
66should:
67 * Include this document in a file named LICENSE (with the appropriate
68 extension) that is included in the documentation package.
69 * If the file format allows, include a notice like "Licensed under
70 the TAPR Open Hardware License (www.tapr.org/OHL)" in each
71 documentation file. While not required, you should also include
72 this notice on printed circuit board artwork and the product
73 itself; if space is limited the notice can be shortened or
74 abbreviated.
75 * Include a copyright notice in each file and on printed circuit
76 board artwork.
77 * If you wish to be notified of modifications that others may make,
78 include your email address in a file named "CONTRIB.TXT" or
79 something similar.
80
81* Any time the OHL requires you to make documentation available to
82others, you must include all the materials you received from the
83upstream licensors. In addition, if you have modified the
84documentation:
85 * You must identify the modifications in a text file (preferably
86 named "CHANGES.TXT") that you include with the documentation.
87 That file must also include a statement like "These modifications
88 are licensed under the TAPR Open Hardware License."
89 * You must include any new files you created, including any
90 manufacturing files (such as Gerber files) you create in the
91 course of making products.
92 * You must include both "before" and "after" versions of all files
93 you modified.
94 * You may include files in proprietary formats, but you must also
95 include open format versions (such as Gerber, ASCII, Postscript,
96 or PDF) if your tools can create them.
97
98TERMS AND CONDITIONS
99
1001. Introduction
1011.1 This Agreement governs how you may use, copy, modify, and
102distribute Documentation, and how you may make, have made, and
103distribute Products based on that Documentation. As used in this
104Agreement, to "distribute" Documentation means to directly or indirectly
105make copies available to a third party, and to "distribute" Products
106means to directly or indirectly give, loan, sell or otherwise transfer
107them to a third party.
108
1091.2 "Documentation" includes:
110 (a) schematic diagrams;
111 (b) circuit or circuit board layouts, including Gerber and other
112 data files used for manufacture;
113 (c) mechanical drawings, including CAD, CAM, and other data files
114 used for manufacture;
115 (d) flow charts and descriptive text; and
116 (e) other explanatory material.
117Documentation may be in any tangible or intangible form of expression,
118including but not limited to computer files in open or proprietary
119formats and representations on paper, film, or other media.
120
1211.3 "Products" include:
122 (a) circuit boards, mechanical assemblies, and other physical parts
123 and components;
124 (b) assembled or partially assembled units (including components
125 and subassemblies); and
126 (c) parts and components combined into kits intended for assembly
127 by others;
128which are based in whole or in part on the Documentation.
129
1301.4 This Agreement applies to any Documentation which contains a
131notice stating it is subject to the TAPR Open Hardware License, and to
132all Products based in whole or in part on that Documentation. If
133Documentation is distributed in an archive (such as a "zip" file) which
134includes this document, all files in that archive are subject to this
135Agreement unless they are specifically excluded. Each person who
136contributes content to the Documentation is referred to in this
137Agreement as a "Licensor."
138
1391.5 By (a) using, copying, modifying, or distributing the
140Documentation, or (b) making or having Products made or distributing
141them, you accept this Agreement, agree to comply with its terms, and
142become a "Licensee." Any activity inconsistent with this Agreement will
143automatically terminate your rights under it (including the immunities
144from suit granted in Section 2), but the rights of others who have
145received Documentation, or have obtained Products, directly or
146indirectly from you will not be affected so long as they fully comply
147with it themselves.
148
1491.6 This Agreement does not apply to software, firmware, or code
150loaded into programmable devices which may be used in conjunction with
151Documentation or Products. Such software is subject to the license
152terms established by its copyright holder(s).
153
1542. Patents
1552.1 Each Licensor grants you, every other Licensee, and every
156possessor or user of Products a perpetual, worldwide, and royalty-free
157immunity from suit under any patent, patent application, or other
158intellectual property right which he or she controls, to the extent
159necessary to make, have made, possess, use, and distribute Products.
160This immunity does not extend to infringement arising from modifications
161subsequently made by others.
162
1632.2 If you make or have Products made, or distribute Documentation
164that you have modified, you grant every Licensor, every other Licensee,
165and every possessor or user of Products a perpetual, worldwide, and
166royalty-free immunity from suit under any patent, patent application, or
167other intellectual property right which you control, to the extent
168necessary to make, have made, possess, use, and distribute Products.
169This immunity does not extend to infringement arising from modifications
170subsequently made by others.
171
1722.3 To avoid doubt, providing Documentation to a third party for the
173sole purpose of having that party make Products on your behalf is not
174considered "distribution,"\" and a third party's act of making Products
175solely on your behalf does not cause that party to grant the immunity
176described in the preceding paragraph.
177
1782.4 These grants of immunity are a material part of this Agreement,
179and form a portion of the consideration given by each party to the
180other. If any court judgment or legal agreement prevents you from
181granting the immunity required by this Section, your rights under this
182Agreement will terminate and you may no longer use, copy, modify or
183distribute the Documentation, or make, have made, or distribute
184Products.
185
1863. Modifications
187You may modify the Documentation, and those modifications will become
188part of the Documentation. They are subject to this Agreement, as are
189Products based in whole or in part on them. If you distribute the
190modified Documentation, or Products based in whole or in part upon it,
191you must email the modified Documentation in a form compliant with
192Section 4 to each Licensor who has provided an email address with the
193Documentation. Attempting to send the email completes your obligations
194under this Section and you need take no further action if any address
195fails.
196
1974. Distributing Documentation
1984.1 You may distribute unmodified copies of the Documentation in its
199entirety in any medium, provided that you retain all copyright and other
200notices (including references to this Agreement) included by each
201Licensor, and include an unaltered copy of this Agreement.
2024.2 You may distribute modified copies of the Documentation if you
203comply with all the requirements of the preceding paragraph and:
204 (a) include a prominent notice in an ASCII or other open format
205 file identifying those elements of the Documentation that you
206 changed, and stating that the modifications are licensed under
207 the terms of this Agreement;
208 (b) include all new documentation files that you create, as well as
209 both the original and modified versions of each file you change
210 (files may be in your development tool's native file format,
211 but if reasonably possible, you must also include open format,
212 such as Gerber, ASCII, Postscript, or PDF, versions);
213 (c) do not change the terms of this Agreement with respect to
214 subsequent licensees; and
215 (d) if you make or have Products made, include in the Documentation
216 all elements reasonably required to permit others to make
217 Products, including Gerber, CAD/CAM and other files used for
218 manufacture.
219
2205. Making Products
2215.1 You may use the Documentation to make or have Products made,
222provided that each Product retains any notices included by the Licensor
223(including, but not limited to, copyright notices on circuit boards).
2245.2 You may distribute Products you make or have made, provided that
225you include with each unit a copy of the Documentation in a form
226consistent with Section 4. Alternatively, you may include either (i) an
227offer valid for at least three years to provide that Documentation, at
228no charge other than the reasonable cost of media and postage, to any
229person who requests it; or (ii) a URL where that Documentation may be
230downloaded, available for at least three years after you last distribute
231the Product.
232
2336. NEW LICENSE VERSIONS
234TAPR may publish updated versions of the OHL which retain the same
235general provisions as the present version, but differ in detail to
236address new problems or concerns, and carry a distinguishing version
237number. If the Documentation specifies a version number which applies
238to it and "any later version", you may choose either that version or any
239later version published by TAPR. If the Documentation does not specify
240a version number, you may choose any version ever published by TAPR.
241TAPR owns the copyright to the OHL, but grants permission to any person
242to copy, distribute, and use it in unmodified form.
243
2447. WARRANTY AND LIABILITY LIMITATIONS
2457.1 THE DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED ON AN"AS-IS" BASIS WITHOUT
246WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. ALL
247WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY
248WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND
249TITLE, ARE HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED.
2507.2 IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW WILL ANY LICENSOR
251BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
252INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF
253THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE DOCUMENTATION OR PRODUCTS,
254INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CLAIMS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
255INFRINGEMENT OR LOSS OF DATA, EVEN IF THAT PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
256POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
2577.3 You agree that the foregoing limitations are reasonable due to
258the non-financial nature of the transaction represented by this
259Agreement, and acknowledge that were it not for these limitations, the
260Licensor(s) would not be willing to make the Documentation available to
261you.
2627.4 You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold each Licensor harmless
263from any claim brought by a third party alleging any defect in the
264design, manufacture, or operation of any Product which you make, have
265made, or distribute pursuant to this Agreement.
266 ####