Commercially Limited Open Source License version 0.3
Copyright (c) 2026 The Whiteboard B.V.
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
This License is version 0.3, effective as of the date of first distribution of the Work under this License. The Licensor may publish updated versions; only the version in effect at time of receipt applies.
This license establishes a dual-path licensing model:
Non-Commercial Path: For personal, educational, research, and other non-commercial purposes, this license grants all four essential freedoms as defined by the Free Software Foundation:
This non-commercial license qualifies as Free Open Source Software as defined by the Open Source Initiative :registered:.
Commercial Path: For commercial use, a separate Fair Distribution of Funds agreement is required. This contract-based mechanism preserves the essential freedoms while enabling fair compensation for contributors through revenue sharing.
Additionally, any use of the Work with AI systems—including LLMs, generative AI, machine learning models, inference engines, or any AI system—renders the resulting outputs (whether generated or inferred) subject to this License.
Note that it is possible to create an aggregated distribution containing artifacts or packages for which their applicable license is retained. This allows for distributions to be based on sources with potential conflicting licenses.
“License”: the terms and conditions as defined in this document.
“Licensor”: the individual(s), company, or foundation that holds the rights to the Original Work and has the authority to grant permissions for its use, modification, and distribution.
“Source Code”: the preferred form for making modifications, including but not limited to software source code, documentation source, and configuration files.
“Object Code”: any code derived from the Source Code by translation or transformation for interpretation by other means.
“Original Work”: the copyrightable work distributed or communicated by the Licensor under this Licence, available as Source Code and also as Object Code as the case may be.
“Derivative Works”: any software, library, or application that is based upon the Original Work, including any modification, translation, adaptation, or arrangement of its Source Code or Object Code. This includes any work that incorporates or embeds the Original Work into a new product or service.
“Work”: the Original Work or its Derivative Works.
“Distribution Package” or “Artifact”: A discrete, potentially signed component of the Work. This can either be the Source Code, Object Code or both.
“Aggregate Distribution”: An aggregation of Artifacts with potentially different licenses.
“Contribution”: A contribution is the act of Contributor modifying the Original Work under the License or otherwise contributing to the creation of a Derivative Work. The contribution itself is also subject to this license and any usage of it has the same terms and conditions as specified in this license.
“Contributor(s)”: any natural or legal person who modifies the Work under the Licence, or otherwise contributes to the creation of a Derivative Work.
“Licensee” or “You”: the individual or legal entity acquiring rights under this License.
“Distribution” or “Communication”: any act of transferring, providing, or making available the Work to third parties by any means, including but not limited to copying, sharing, renting, leasing, or selling.
“AI System”: any artificial intelligence system, including but not limited to large language models (LLMs), generative AI, machine learning models, inference engines, or any other form of AI capable of generating, training, inferring, or processing content.
“AI Output”: any text, code, images, audio, video, or other content generated, inferred, or produced by an AI System that was trained on, fine-tuned with, or otherwise used in conjunction with the Work.
“AI Model”: any AI model, weights, parameters, or architectures derived from, trained using, or incorporating the Work.
“Commercial Use”: any use of the Work intended for, or directed toward, commercial advantage or monetary compensation. This includes, but is not limited to, using the Work to create a product or service that is sold, offered for sale, or otherwise used for revenue generation. The use of the Work within a non-profit organization generating income through donations is considered Commercial Use. Commercial Use is permitted only upon execution of a Fair Distribution of Funds Agreement.
“Fair Distribution of Funds Agreement”: A separate written contract between the Licensor and a commercial user that establishes terms for revenue sharing, blockchain-based payment verification, and other conditions required to exercise Commercial Use rights under this License. The agreement ensures fair compensation to the Licensor and Contributors while preserving the essential freedoms of free software and providing transparent, verifiable payment distribution via blockchain.
You must ensure that all copies of the Work or Derivative Works include the original copyright notice, this License, and disclaimer of warranty.
Commercial users must obtain a Fair Distribution of Funds Agreement prior to engaging in Commercial Use. The agreement will be negotiated between the Licensor and the commercial user and will address:
(a) Revenue Sharing: A fair portion of revenue generated from the Work shall be distributed to the Licensor and Contributors. The specific percentage or amount shall be determined based on the nature and scale of commercial use.
(b) Payment Terms: Schedule and method for distributing revenue shares to the Licensor and Contributors, utilizing blockchain-based smart contracts for transparent and verifiable payment distribution.
(c) Blockchain Verification: Commercial users shall record payment transactions on a designated blockchain network, enabling public verification of compliance without requiring disclosure of sensitive business information. Smart contracts may be employed to automate revenue sharing and ensure timely distribution to Licensor and Contributors.
(d) Term and Termination: Duration of the agreement and conditions under which it may be terminated.
(e) Additional Terms & Conditions: Additional terms and conditions may be added, for example warranties and SLAs.
To request a Fair Distribution of Funds Agreement, contact the Licensor at the contact information provided with the Work.
This License establishes two distinct pathways for exercising rights:
Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, the Licensor and each Contributor hereby grants to You a perpetual, non-exclusive, worldwide, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare Derivative Works of, publicly display, publicly perform, and distribute the Work and in Source Code or Object Code form, provided that: (a) there is no Commercial Use; and (b) for non-commercial distributions of Derivative Works, You must make their Source Code available to recipients under this same License.
Commercial Use rights are granted only through a separate Fair Distribution of Funds Agreement executed between the Licensor and the Licensee. Such agreement will specify revenue sharing terms, blockchain-based payment verification mechanisms, and other conditions necessary to exercise Commercial Use rights while preserving the essential freedoms of free software.
The Licensor and each Contributor grants You a royalty-free, non-exclusive usage rights to any patents held by the Licensor, to the extent necessary to make use of the rights granted on the Work under this Licence.
If You institute patent litigation against any entity (including a cross-claim or counterclaim in a lawsuit) alleging that the Work or any Contribution incorporated within the Work constitutes direct or contributory patent infringement, then any patent licenses granted to You under this License for the Work shall terminate as of the date such litigation is filed.
You may not sublicense, assign, or transfer any rights granted under this License without the Licensor’s prior written consent.
For those parts of the Original Work which are licensed under copyleft licenses (e.g., GPL, AGPL), those licenses continue to apply, and those parts must be distributed under those terms wherever they conflict with this License.
Including the Work alongside other independent programs on a volume of a storage or distribution medium (like an RPM repository or Maven Central) does not bring the other programs under the scope of this license.
Any Derivative Works distributed under this License must make their Source Code available to recipients under the same terms and conditions as set forth herein.
Any Derivative Works, outputs, models, or results generated, trained, inferred, or produced through the use of the Work with any AI System—including but not limited to large language models (LLMs), generative AI, machine learning models, inference engines, or any other form of artificial intelligence—shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this License.
This provision applies to:
(a) AI Outputs: Any text, code, images, audio, video, or other content generated or inferred by AI Systems that were trained on, fine-tuned with, or otherwise used in conjunction with the Work;
(b) AI Models: Any AI models, weights, parameters, or architectures derived from, trained using, or incorporating the Work;
(c) Inferred Results: Any conclusions, insights, or data derived from AI Systems that processed the Work as input or training material.
The requirements of this section apply regardless of whether the AI System is used for Commercial Use or Non-Commercial purposes.
This License does not grant permission to use the trade names, trademarks, service marks, or product names of the Licensor or Contributors, except as required for reasonable and customary use in describing the origin of the Work and reproducing the content of the copyright notice.
Your rights under this License terminate automatically if You violate any term or condition herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if You cure such violation within thirty (30) days of becoming aware of it, your rights may be reinstated prospectively upon written notice from the Licensor.
This License shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising out of or related to this License shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in The Hague, Netherlands.
Licensee acknowledges that laws and regulation vary by jurisdiction and may impose requirements that Licensor cannot guarantee the Work will satisfy. Licensee assumes full responsibility for ensuring that their use of the Work complies with all applicable laws and regulations in their jurisdiction.
To the extent permitted by law, Licensee agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Licensor and Contributors from and against any claims, damages, liabilities, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to: (a) Licensee’s failure to comply with applicable laws; (b) Licensee’s use of the Work in a manner that violates local requirements; or (c) any legal claims arising from Licensee’s use or distribution of the Work.
The software is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement. In no event shall the authors or copyright holders be liable for any claim, damages or other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort or otherwise, arising from, out of or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.
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