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In all cases, contributors retain full rights to use their original contributions for any other purpose, while providing Jasig and its projects the right to distribute and extend their contributed work.
Individuals must have an BOD:Individual Contributor License Agreement (ICLA) on file with Jasig before any significant contributions will be accepted and before commit privileges will be granted on Jasig projects.
Organizations that have tasked employees to work on a Jasig project should also complete a BOD:Corporate Contributor License Agreement (CCLA) so intellectual property that may have been assigned as part of an employment agreement can still be properly contributed. Individuals still need to submit an ICLA, even when their organizations has completed a CCLA. Individuals are responsible for making sure their organization has completed a CCLA if their contributions are owned by their employer.
When an individual or corporation donates existing software or documentation to a Jasig project, they need to execute a formal BOD:Software Grant License Agreement (SGLA) with Jasig. This typically occurs as part of the Jasig Incubation process for taking on new projects.
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The second reason for requiring CLAs is to allow Jasig to better ensure the sustainability of the project. In the future, there may be unforeseen needs to adjust the licensing of Jasig projects. Without appropriate CLAs in place for all contributions, Jasig would have to seek individual permission from all past contributors in order to make changes to the licensing of the overall project – this could prove impossible in a long-running project with hundreds of contributors. The Mozilla Relicensing effort serves as a cautionary tale as to what can happen to projects that do not have central governance with the ability to adjust project licensing.
How does this policy benefit developers?
As mentioned in some of the earlier questions this policy benefits developers in two ways:
- The Apache License is a comprehensive license that fully defines the nature of the agreement between the developers of the software and the users of the software and thereby provides clearer protection to all the parties involved, including developers.
- The Contributor License Agreements make it clear that everyone asserts they are legally entitled to make the developer contributions they are making, and the terms under which they are being made available to Jasig. This clarity provides better protection to the developers and their contributions.
How does this policy benefit users?
As mentioned in some of the earlier questions this policy benefits users in two ways:
- The Apache License is a comprehensive license that fully defines the nature of the agreement between the developers of the software and the users of the software and thereby provides clearer protection to all the parties involved, including users.
- The Contributor License Agreements make it clear that everyone asserts they are legally entitled to make the developer contributions they are making, and the terms under which they are being made available to Jasig. This clarity provides better protection to the users because there is an explicit licensing chain fully connecting the copyright holders and the end users.
Who should I contact with questions about Jasig licensing or intellectual property?
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