Legal Information

RedNeckSnailSpit Open Source Licensing

            TL;DR: Free for non-profit use under GPL v3. Commercial use requires a paid license. If you're making money from my code, I get a cut. Simple as that.
        

Dual Licensing Model

All software projects by RedNeckSnailSpit are dual-licensed:

Non-Commercial / Non-Profit Use

License: GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0)

Permitted users:

Non-profit organizations that operate without profit motive (registered charities, non-profit hospitals, non-profit aid organizations, etc.)
Educational institutions operating on a non-profit basis (public schools, non-profit universities, community education programs)
Personal, non-commercial use at home
Non-commercial use with family and friends
Any entity hosting or providing access to the software at-cost or below-cost with no profit margin (hosting fees, operational costs only)

Important Clarification: "Non-profit" means operating without profit motive, not tax status. For-profit hospitals, private schools charging tuition beyond operational costs, or for-profit aid organizations do NOT qualify for GPL v3 licensing.

Full license text: GNU GPL v3.0

Under GPL v3, you are free to use, modify, and distribute the software, provided that:

You maintain the same GPL v3 license for derivative works
You provide source code access
You include proper attribution (see below)
You comply with all other GPL v3 terms
You do not distribute the software itself in any commercial manner (hosting at-cost is permitted, selling copies is not)

Commercial / For-Profit Use

License: Custom Commercial License (negotiated per case)

Definition of commercial use:

Important: If you are making money that goes beyond operational costs (i.e., selling at higher than cost-price), you require a commercial license. This includes but is not limited to:

For-profit companies using the software or derivatives in their products or services
SaaS platforms incorporating the software or derivatives
Any commercial entity using the software or derivatives where profit is generated beyond covering operational costs
For-profit educational institutions (private schools, for-profit universities)
For-profit hospitals or healthcare providers
Any distribution of the software or derivatives in a commercial manner

No Default Commercial License: No license is granted for commercial or for-profit use of the software or any derivative works unless explicitly agreed to in writing. Using this software or derivative works for commercial purposes without a license agreement constitutes copyright infringement.

Attribution Requirements

All uses of the software (both non-commercial GPL and commercial licensed) must include proper attribution:

Credit: RedNeckSnailSpit
Link: https://rednecksnailspit.co.za/

Attribution should be visible in:

Software documentation
About/Credits sections of applications
Source code headers (for code distributions)

Branding and Trademarks

You may modify branding elements (logos, names, icons, etc.) in the software as needed for your use case. Don't use the software or modifications to slander, defame, or misrepresent anyone or the origin of the software.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I run a for-profit company but want to use your software internally. Do I need a commercial license?

A: Yes. If your company operates for profit, you need a commercial license, even for internal use. Contact me to discuss terms.

Q: I'm a non-profit organization. Can we use GPL v3?

A: Yes, as long as you genuinely operate without profit motive. Non-profit organizations qualify for GPL v3 licensing at no cost. Just ensure you comply with GPL v3 terms.

Q: We're a for-profit hospital/private school. Do we need a commercial license?

A: Yes. "Non-profit" refers to operational model, not just tax status. If you're charging beyond operational costs or operating for profit, you need a commercial license.

Q: What if we're a for-profit company that wants to open-source our modifications under GPL?

A: Doesn't matter. GPL v3 is only available for non-commercial use of my software. If you're making a profit, you need a commercial license first. You can't use the "but we'll GPL it too!" argument to bypass the commercial license requirement.

Q: We're hosting the software for others at-cost to cover server fees. Is that commercial?

A: No. If you're hosting at-cost or below-cost with no profit margin (covering only operational costs), that's non-commercial use under GPL v3. However, you cannot sell or distribute copies of the software commercially.

Q: I modified the software (changed some code, branding, etc.). Does the license still apply?

A: Yes. Derivative works are still covered by this license. If you're using a modified version for profit, you need a commercial license. GPL v3 also requires you to release your modifications under GPL v3 for non-commercial use.

Q: What are the commercial license terms?

A: Commercial licenses are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Factors include your company size, use case, revenue generated from the software, and how much I like your vibe. Fill out the contact form below to start the conversation.

Q: Can we get an exception or discount on the commercial license?

A: Maybe. I'm reasonable. If you're a tiny startup, a solo developer trying to make ends meet, or working on something genuinely beneficial to humanity, let's talk. If you're a massive corporation with deep pockets, pay up.

Q: What if we're already using your software commercially without a license?

A: Contact me immediately. We can work something out retroactively if you're acting in good faith. If you ignore this and keep violating the license, expect legal action.

Q: Do you provide DMCA agent services or handle user content issues?

A: No. I don't host publicly accessible user content. My software is self-hosted – you host it, you control it, you handle your own DMCA issues.

Contact for Commercial Licensing

Interested in a commercial license? Fill out the form below. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Name / Company Name *

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