CompuDav License

Overview  |  How Do I Use the License?  |  Download a Copy  |  Support  | Examples of License Usage

Overview:
The majority of licenses nowadays are either "completely free with source code" licenses or they are entirely proprietary. At CompuDav, we believe that the best approach to creating a license is to create one that lets software developers decide how they want their software distributed. That's why the CompuDav License (or CDL for short) was written - it provides the necessary balance between completely free with source and entirely proprietary.

The "gist" of the CompuDav License is divided into three parts:

1. If the original developer creates a program and distributes it free with source code, then anyone may redistribute that piece of software free of charge as well. Only the original source code and the original program must be distributed with any modifications.

2. If the original developer creates a piece of software and distributes it freely without source code, then anyone may redistribute that piece of software free of charge, provided that they appropriately recognize the original author, and any necessary trademarks or patents. Users may charge a fee to redistribute the original program.

3. If the original developer writes a program and distributes it for profit, then only versions marked as "trial" or "demo" (once again, given away for free) may be redistributed without the author's consent. Users may charge any redistribution fees for the trial or demo versions.

All software created by CompuDav is automatically placed under this license. 

How Do I Use the License?
If you're interested in using the license for either your own, or your company's, software products, you can use the CDL free of charge by following a few simple steps:

1. Download a copy of the CDL (CDL.txt).

2. Include a file called "copyright.txt" with the distribution of the software. In this file include your copyright notice and the following words:
   
   Use of this software is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the CompuDav License Agreement. A copy of this agreement can be found in the directory in which you installed the software. Copyright (C) 2005 [MyName/Company].
   
   

3. If applicable, add the following line to the "copyright.txt" file:
   
   Original source code is copyright (C) 2004 [Name/Company].
   
   

4. Make sure that both the CDL.txt file and the copyright.txt file get installed into the same directory as the rest of the software. For example, if the user installs the program "Foo" into C:\Program Files\Foo, then the two files mentioned above should be located in that directory as well.

As soon as those steps have been completed, your software will be officially licensed under the CompuDav License version 1.01.

Download a Copy:
There are three versions of the license available:

• CDL.txt - this version is the plain text version of the license.

• CDL.htm - this is the HTML version of the license agreement.

• Agreement.rtf - use this if you're using JSetup installation software.

If you're in doubt, chances are you want CDL.txt. If you're using JSetup, you definitely want Agreement.rtf for the installation.

Support:
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, etc... about the license agreement, please do not hesitate to inquire at cdl@compudav.com. Responses are usually provided within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.