MySource Matrix Evaluations

Frequently Asked Questions about the Squiz.Net Open Source Licence Agreement

(NB This FAQ relates to the Squiz Open Source Licence agreement only)

You can read the full licence used for MySource Matrix here, however this page is intended to address a few common questions.

Q1. What are the key elements of the licence?

A1. We have made an effort to write the licence in plain English so it will be easy to understand.

The licence is an open source licence and intended to meet all of terms of the open source definition prescribed by the Open Source Initiative (www.opensource.org) however it is not yet certified (discussed below).

Like all other open source licences, you are free to use and share the source code of MySource Matrix with as many people as you like. If you wish to modify the source code in any way we allow you to do that too (also at no cost) but we do impose some conditions on your licence to ensure the work you do is available to the community and also free. The methods used to control user modifications and contributions tends to be the key point of distinction between different open source licences.

In the case of the Squiz.Net Open Source Licence Agreement, some important things we insist you do are to:

• Only make changes to the system that you know will not infringe the copyright of other parties and you grant your copyright to Squiz.
• Tell us about modifications you are making to the system.
• Agree to provide a copy of any modifications you make to anybody who asks for them unless you have supplied those modifications to Squiz.net for us to make available on the MySource Matrix website.

If you feel these obligations are too strict or you wish to re-sell MySource Matrix commercially there is an option to lessen your level of obligation - Section 3 of the licence.

Squiz like the dual licensing model adopted by MySQL, however we prefer a single appropriately drafted licence to two separate licences. The Squiz.Net Open Source Licence Agreement operates in a similar way to the dual licence model it that it allows people who do not want to abide by the all of the terms of the open source licence to pay for the right to reduce their obligations.

Q2. How do you notify Squiz about modifications you have made?

A2. Post a note on the forum at http://forums.matrix.squiz.net.

Q3. Why have you written your own open source licence and not picked an existing one?

A3. None of the other licences achieve want we want which is something like the dual licence model used by MySQL. Squiz hope to get this licence OSI certified however it's a time consuming and involved process. We will update this site as soon as we have more concrete information.

Q4. How can I get you to "limit my obligation" under the licence?

A4. Just ask. Fill in the contact form here and tell us who you are, what you plan to use MySource Matrix for and why you think we should limit your obligation under the licence. In most cases we will agree to waive your obligation to notify us of modifications for $AUD 15 per annum if you contribute something usefully to the project (eg code or documentation).

In cases where you plan to create modules for re-sale then the fee will be set based upon the price you intend to charge for the module and who you intend to sell it to. Again speak to us for more information.

Q5. Why do you ask for copyright assignment?

A5. The simple answer is to avoid future potential problems.

Have a look at http://business.newsforge.com/business/04/09/17/2234245.shtml?tid=152 for a discussion on some of issues we want to avoid.

Squiz sometimes agrees to co-ownership (severable copyright ownership) on specific projects. If you are interested in this option speak to us.

Q6. What modules are included in the Squiz Open Source Licence Agreement?

A6. The Squiz Open Source Licence Agreement allows you to use the core product under an open source licence. However, please note that the modules are not included under this version of the licence including the following modules which are available from 3.12 and above under the GPL licence: CMS Page Templates (Account Manager, Asset Builder, Asset Listing, Custom Form, Hit Count Listing. Link Manager, Multiple Page, Online Poll, Online Quiz, Redirect Page, Related Content Listing, Password Reset Page, Site Map, Standard Page, User Group Manager, What's New page), News (Comment, News Item, RSS Feed Page), and Reports (Asset Status, Links)