top of page

 

KNORBA FREE PUBLIC LICENSE AGREEMENT

 

 

    Notice

 

This agreement is a modified version of CeCILL-B Free Sofrware License 

Agreement that prohibits military organizations from using the licensed

software, and also prohibits the software to be used in harmful ways.

 

The authors of the original CeCILL-B (for Ce[a] C[nrs] I[nria] L[ogiciel] 

L[ibre]) license are: 

 

Commissariat l'Energie Atomique - CEA, a public scientific, technical

and industrial research establishment, having its principal place of

business at 25 rue Leblanc, immeuble Le Ponant D, 75015 Paris, France.

 

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS, a public scientific

and technological establishment, having its principal place of business

at 3 rue Michel-Ange, 75794 Paris cedex 16, France.

 

Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique -

INRIA, a public scientific and technological establishment, having its

principal place of business at Domaine de Voluceau, Rocquencourt, BP

105, 78153 Le Chesnay cedex, France.

 

 

    Preamble

 

This Agreement is a free software license intended to give users

significant freedom to modify and redistribute the software licensed

hereunder.

 

The exercising of this freedom is conditional upon a strong obligation

of giving credits for everybody that distributes a software

incorporating a software ruled by the current license so as all

contributions to be properly identified and acknowledged.

 

In consideration of access to the source code and the rights to copy,

modify and redistribute granted by the license, users are provided only

with a limited warranty and the software's author, the holder of the

economic rights, and the successive licensors only have limited liability.

 

In this respect, the risks associated with loading, using, modifying

and/or developing or reproducing the software by the user are brought to

the user's attention, given its Free Software status, which may make it

complicated to use, with the result that its use is reserved for

developers and experienced professionals having in-depth computer

knowledge. Users are therefore encouraged to load and test the

suitability of the software as regards their requirements in conditions

enabling the security of their systems and/or data to be ensured and,

more generally, to use and operate it in the same conditions of

security. This Agreement may be freely reproduced and published,

provided it is not altered, and that no provisions are either added or

removed herefrom.

 

This Agreement may apply to any or all software for which the holder of

the economic rights decides to submit the use thereof to its provisions.

 

 

    Article 1 - DEFINITIONS

 

For the purpose of this Agreement, when the following expressions

commence with a capital letter, they shall have the following meaning:

 

Agreement: means this license agreement, and its possible subsequent

versions and annexes.

 

Software: means the software in its Object Code and/or Source Code form

and, where applicable, its documentation, "as is" when the Licensee

accepts the Agreement.

 

Initial Software: means the Software in its Source Code and possibly its

Object Code form and, where applicable, its documentation, "as is" when

it is first distributed under the terms and conditions of the Agreement.

 

Modified Software: means the Software modified by at least one

Contribution.

 

Source Code: means all the Software's instructions and program lines to

which access is required so as to modify the Software.

 

Object Code: means the binary files originating from the compilation of

the Source Code.

 

Holder: means the holder(s) of the economic rights over the Initial

Software.

 

Licensee: means the Software user(s) having accepted the Agreement.

 

Contributor: means a Licensee having made at least one Contribution.

 

Licensor: means the Holder, or any other individual or legal entity, who

distributes the Software under the Agreement.

 

Contribution: means any or all modifications, corrections, translations,

adaptations and/or new functions integrated into the Software by any or

all Contributors, as well as any or all Internal Modules.

 

Module: means a set of sources files including their documentation that

enables supplementary functions or services in addition to those offered

by the Software.

 

External Module: means any or all Modules, not derived from the

Software, so that this Module and the Software run in separate address

spaces, with one calling the other when they are run.

 

Internal Module: means any or all Module, connected to the Software so

that they both execute in the same address space.

 

Parties: mean both the Licensee and the Licensor.

 

These expressions may be used both in singular and plural form.

 

 

    Article 2 - PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the Agreement is the grant by the Licensor to the

Licensee of a non-exclusive, transferable and worldwide license for the

Software as set forth in Article 5 hereinafter for the whole term of the

protection granted by the rights over said Software.

 

 

    Article 3 - ACCEPTANCE

 

3.1 The Licensee shall be deemed as having accepted the terms and

conditions of this Agreement upon the occurrence of the first of the

following events:

 

    * (i) loading the Software by any or all means, notably, by

      downloading from a remote server, or by loading from a physical

      medium;

    * (ii) the first time the Licensee exercises any of the rights

      granted hereunder.

 

3.2 One copy of the Agreement, containing a notice relating to the

characteristics of the Software, to the limited warranty, and to the

fact that its use is restricted to experienced users has been provided

to the Licensee prior to its acceptance as set forth in Article 3.1

hereinabove, and the Licensee hereby acknowledges that it has read and

understood it.

 

 

    Article 4 - EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM

 

 

      4.1 EFFECTIVE DATE

 

The Agreement shall become effective on the date when it is accepted by

the Licensee as set forth in Article 3.1.

 

 

      4.2 TERM

 

The Agreement shall remain in force for the entire legal term of

protection of the economic rights over the Software.

 

 

    Article 5 - SCOPE OF RIGHTS GRANTED

 

The Licensor hereby grants to the Licensee, who accepts, the following

rights over the Software for any or all use, and for the term of the

Agreement, on the basis of the terms and conditions set forth hereinafter.

 

Besides, if the Licensor owns or comes to own one or more patents

protecting all or part of the functions of the Software or of its

components, the Licensor undertakes not to enforce the rights granted by

these patents against successive Licensees using, exploiting or

modifying the Software. If these patents are transferred, the Licensor

undertakes to have the transferees subscribe to the obligations set

forth in this paragraph.

 

 

      5.1 RIGHT OF USE

 

Use of the Software is prohibited for any individual who does so in 

the capacity of an employee or a subcontractor of a military 

organization, an employee or a subcontractor of a secret service or 

intelligence agency, a member of a mafia, or a militia group. Use of 

the Software is prohibited to make any weapon of any kind, or to harm

human being or living creatures. Otherwise, the Licensee is authorized 

to use the Software, without any limitation as to its fields of 

application, with it being hereinafter specified that this comprises:

 

   1. permanent or temporary reproduction of all or part of the Software

      by any or all means and in any or all form.

 

   2. loading, displaying, running, or storing the Software on any or

      all medium.

 

   3. entitlement to observe, study or test its operation so as to

      determine the ideas and principles behind any or all constituent

      elements of said Software. This shall apply when the Licensee

      carries out any or all loading, displaying, running, transmission

      or storage operation as regards the Software, that it is entitled

      to carry out hereunder.

 

 

      5.2 ENTITLEMENT TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS

 

The right to make Contributions includes the right to translate, adapt,

arrange, or make any or all modifications to the Software, and the right

to reproduce the resulting software.

 

The Licensee is authorized to make any or all Contributions to the

Software provided that it includes an explicit notice that it is the

author of said Contribution and indicates the date of the creation thereof.

 

 

      5.3 RIGHT OF DISTRIBUTION

 

In particular, the right of distribution includes the right to publish,

transmit and communicate the Software to the general public on any or

all medium, and by any or all means, and the right to market, either in

consideration of a fee, or free of charge, one or more copies of the

Software by any means.

 

The Licensee is further authorized to distribute copies of the modified

or unmodified Software to third parties according to the terms and

conditions set forth hereinafter.

 

 

        5.3.1 DISTRIBUTION OF SOFTWARE WITHOUT MODIFICATION

 

The Licensee is authorized to distribute true copies of the Software in

Source Code or Object Code form, provided that said distribution

complies with all the provisions of the Agreement and is accompanied by:

 

   1. a copy of the Agreement,

 

   2. a notice relating to the limitation of both the Licensor's

      warranty and liability as set forth in Articles 8 and 9,

 

and that, in the event that only the Object Code of the Software is

redistributed, the Licensee allows effective access to the full Source

Code of the Software at a minimum during the entire period of its

distribution of the Software, it being understood that the additional

cost of acquiring the Source Code shall not exceed the cost of

transferring the data.

 

 

        5.3.2 DISTRIBUTION OF MODIFIED SOFTWARE

 

If the Licensee makes any Contribution to the Software, the resulting

Modified Software may be distributed under a license agreement other

than this Agreement subject to compliance with the provisions of Article

5.3.4.

 

 

        5.3.3 DISTRIBUTION OF EXTERNAL MODULES

 

When the Licensee has developed an External Module, the terms and

conditions of this Agreement do not apply to said External Module, that

may be distributed under a separate license agreement.

 

 

        5.3.4 CREDITS

 

Any Licensee who may distribute a Modified Software hereby expressly

agrees to:

 

   1. indicate in the related documentation that it is based on the

      Software licensed hereunder, and reproduce the intellectual

      property notice for the Software,

 

   2. ensure that written indications of the Software intended use,

      intellectual property notice and license hereunder are included in

      easily accessible format from the Modified Software interface,

 

   3. mention, on a freely accessible website describing the Modified

      Software, at least throughout the distribution term thereof, that

      it is based on the Software licensed hereunder, and reproduce the

      Software intellectual property notice,

 

   4. where it is distributed to a third party that may distribute a

      Modified Software without having to make its source code

      available, make its best efforts to ensure that said third party

      agrees to comply with the obligations set forth in this Article .

 

If the Software, whether or not modified, is distributed with an

External Module designed for use in connection with the Software, the

Licensee shall submit said External Module to the foregoing obligations.

 

 

        5.3.5 COMPATIBILITY WITH THE CeCILL AND CeCILL-C LICENSES

 

Where a Modified Software contains a Contribution subject to the CeCILL

license, the provisions set forth in Article 5.3.4 shall be optional.

 

A Modified Software may be distributed under the CeCILL-C license. In

such a case the provisions set forth in Article 5.3.4 shall be optional.

 

 

    Article 6 - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 

 

      6.1 OVER THE INITIAL SOFTWARE

 

The Holder owns the economic rights over the Initial Software. Any or

all use of the Initial Software is subject to compliance with the terms

and conditions under which the Holder has elected to distribute its work

and no one shall be entitled to modify the terms and conditions for the

distribution of said Initial Software.

 

The Holder undertakes that the Initial Software will remain ruled at

least by this Agreement, for the duration set forth in Article 4.2.

 

 

      6.2 OVER THE CONTRIBUTIONS

 

The Licensee who develops a Contribution is the owner of the

intellectual property rights over this Contribution as defined by

applicable law.

 

 

      6.3 OVER THE EXTERNAL MODULES

 

The Licensee who develops an External Module is the owner of the

intellectual property rights over this External Module as defined by

applicable law and is free to choose the type of agreement that shall

govern its distribution.

 

 

      6.4 JOINT PROVISIONS

 

The Licensee expressly undertakes:

 

   1. not to remove, or modify, in any manner, the intellectual property

      notices attached to the Software;

 

   2. to reproduce said notices, in an identical manner, in the copies

      of the Software modified or not.

 

The Licensee undertakes not to directly or indirectly infringe the

intellectual property rights of the Holder and/or Contributors on the

Software and to take, where applicable, vis-‡-vis its staff, any and all

measures required to ensure respect of said intellectual property rights

of the Holder and/or Contributors.

 

 

    Article 7 - RELATED SERVICES

 

7.1 Under no circumstances shall the Agreement oblige the Licensor to

provide technical assistance or maintenance services for the Software.

 

However, the Licensor is entitled to offer this type of services. The

terms and conditions of such technical assistance, and/or such

maintenance, shall be set forth in a separate instrument. Only the

Licensor offering said maintenance and/or technical assistance services

shall incur liability therefor.

 

7.2 Similarly, any Licensor is entitled to offer to its licensees, under

its sole responsibility, a warranty, that shall only be binding upon

itself, for the redistribution of the Software and/or the Modified

Software, under terms and conditions that it is free to decide. Said

warranty, and the financial terms and conditions of its application,

shall be subject of a separate instrument executed between the Licensor

and the Licensee.

 

 

    Article 8 - LIABILITY

 

8.1 Subject to the provisions of Article 8.2, the Licensee shall be

entitled to claim compensation for any direct loss it may have suffered

from the Software as a result of a fault on the part of the relevant

Licensor, subject to providing evidence thereof.

 

8.2 The Licensor's liability is limited to the commitments made under

this Agreement and shall not be incurred as a result of in particular:

(i) loss due the Licensee's total or partial failure to fulfill its

obligations, (ii) direct or consequential loss that is suffered by the

Licensee due to the use or performance of the Software, and (iii) more

generally, any consequential loss. In particular the Parties expressly

agree that any or all pecuniary or business loss (i.e. loss of data,

loss of profits, operating loss, loss of customers or orders,

opportunity cost, any disturbance to business activities) or any or all

legal proceedings instituted against the Licensee by a third party,

shall constitute consequential loss and shall not provide entitlement to

any or all compensation from the Licensor.

 

 

    Article 9 - WARRANTY

 

9.1 The Licensee acknowledges that the scientific and technical

state-of-the-art when the Software was distributed did not enable all

possible uses to be tested and verified, nor for the presence of

possible defects to be detected. In this respect, the Licensee's

attention has been drawn to the risks associated with loading, using,

modifying and/or developing and reproducing the Software which are

reserved for experienced users.

 

The Licensee shall be responsible for verifying, by any or all means,

the suitability of the product for its requirements, its good working

order, and for ensuring that it shall not cause damage to either persons

or properties.

 

9.2 The Licensor hereby represents, in good faith, that it is entitled

to grant all the rights over the Software (including in particular the

rights set forth in Article 5).

 

9.3 The Licensee acknowledges that the Software is supplied "as is" by

the Licensor without any other express or tacit warranty, other than

that provided for in Article 9.2 and, in particular, without any warranty 

as to its commercial value, its secured, safe, innovative or relevant 

nature.

 

Specifically, the Licensor does not warrant that the Software is free

from any error, that it will operate without interruption, that it will

be compatible with the Licensee's own equipment and software

configuration, nor that it will meet the Licensee's requirements.

 

9.4 The Licensor does not either expressly or tacitly warrant that the

Software does not infringe any third party intellectual property right

relating to a patent, software or any other property right. Therefore,

the Licensor disclaims any and all liability towards the Licensee

arising out of any or all proceedings for infringement that may be

instituted in respect of the use, modification and redistribution of the

Software. Nevertheless, should such proceedings be instituted against

the Licensee, the Licensor shall provide it with technical and legal

assistance for its defense. Such technical and legal assistance shall be

decided on a case-by-case basis between the relevant Licensor and the

Licensee pursuant to a memorandum of understanding. The Licensor

disclaims any and all liability as regards the Licensee's use of the

name of the Software. No warranty is given as regards the existence of

prior rights over the name of the Software or as regards the existence

of a trademark.

 

 

    Article 10 - TERMINATION

 

10.1 In the event of a breach by the Licensee of its obligations

hereunder, the Licensor may automatically terminate this Agreement

thirty (30) days after notice has been sent to the Licensee and has

remained ineffective.

 

10.2 A Licensee whose Agreement is terminated shall no longer be

authorized to use, modify or distribute the Software. However, any

licenses that it may have granted prior to termination of the Agreement

shall remain valid subject to their having been granted in compliance

with the terms and conditions hereof.

 

 

    Article 11 - MISCELLANEOUS

 

 

      11.1 EXCUSABLE EVENTS

 

Neither Party shall be liable for any or all delay, or failure to

perform the Agreement, that may be attributable to an event of force

majeure, an act of God or an outside cause, such as defective

functioning or interruptions of the electricity or telecommunications

networks, network paralysis following a virus attack, intervention by

government authorities, natural disasters, water damage, earthquakes,

fire, explosions, strikes and labor unrest, war, etc.

 

11.2 Any failure by either Party, on one or more occasions, to invoke

one or more of the provisions hereof, shall under no circumstances be

interpreted as being a waiver by the interested Party of its right to

invoke said provision(s) subsequently.

 

11.3 The Agreement cancels and replaces any or all previous agreements,

whether written or oral, between the Parties and having the same

purpose, and constitutes the entirety of the agreement between said

Parties concerning said purpose. No supplement or modification to the

terms and conditions hereof shall be effective as between the Parties

unless it is made in writing and signed by their duly authorized

representatives.

 

11.4 In the event that one or more of the provisions hereof were to

conflict with a current or future applicable act or legislative text,

said act or legislative text shall prevail, and the Parties shall make

the necessary amendments so as to comply with said act or legislative

text. All other provisions shall remain effective. Similarly, invalidity

of a provision of the Agreement, for any reason whatsoever, shall not

cause the Agreement as a whole to be invalid.

 

 

      11.5 LANGUAGE

 

The Agreement is drafted in both French and English and both versions

are deemed authentic.

 

 

    Article 12 - NEW VERSIONS OF THE AGREEMENT

 

12.1 Any person is authorized to duplicate and distribute copies of this

Agreement.

 

12.2 So as to ensure coherence, the wording of this Agreement is

protected and may only be modified by the authors of the License, who

reserve the right to periodically publish updates or new versions of the

Agreement, each with a separate number. These subsequent versions may

address new issues encountered by Free Software.

 

12.3 Any Software distributed under a given version of the Agreement may

only be subsequently distributed under the same version of the Agreement

or a subsequent version.

 

 

    Article 13 - GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

 

13.1 The Agreement is governed by French law. The Parties agree to

endeavor to seek an amicable solution to any disagreements or disputes

that may arise during the performance of the Agreement.

 

13.2 Failing an amicable solution within two (2) months as from their

occurrence, and unless emergency proceedings are necessary, the

disagreements or disputes shall be referred to the Paris Courts having

jurisdiction, by the more diligent Party.

 

 

Version 1.0 dated 2006-09-05.

 

 

bottom of page