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February 6, 2010 22:59
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TVEL - TOM'S VISCIOUSLY EVIL LICENSE | |
Version 2, June 2000 | |
Copyright (C) 2000 Tom Gilbert. | |
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of | |
this license document, but changing it is not allowed. | |
Preamble | |
The licenses for most software are designed to take away your | |
freedom to share and change it. Others, such as the GNU General | |
Public License are intended to guarantee your freedom to share | |
and change free software--to make sure the software is free for | |
all its users. | |
The TEVL takes the only sensible step forward. | |
Freedom is dangerous in the hands of the weak. You can't just | |
give these people freedom willy nilly, you have to have a way to | |
maintain control - over them and your software. | |
The TVEL gives users total freedom over their use of the software | |
bound to it, as long as they maintain the original license, and | |
agree to it's only stipulation. | |
The author gets their soul. | |
Sound fair? Of course it is. | |
Benefits to the user: | |
o Freedom to use and modify the software | |
o Freedom to redistribute the software under the same license | |
o Freedom to share the software with your friends and make copies | |
o The security of knowing your soul is in good hands | |
o Freedom to what you want with your life, safe in the | |
knowledge that your fate is already sealed. | |
Benefits to the author: | |
o You get to own their souls! | |
o If they breach the license, their ass is grass. (You have | |
their soul, remember). | |
o Thanks to the wonderful new Pyramid clause(*), the number of | |
souls you will acquire will grow and grow. | |
o Any problems they have with your software, either | |
malfunction, data loss or damage to hardware, is entirely | |
their fault, and punishable by damnation. | |
(*) Pyramid clause. | |
When someone modifies and redistributes your code, they become a | |
new tier in the pyramid. They get the souls of those agreeing to | |
the license on that copy of the code. As do you. Soul | |
co-ownership is valid and binding, having been pre-agreed with | |
Those Above. This encourages re-distribution and is always | |
reflected in increased soul reap-age. | |
Those re-distributing the software will be rewarded by | |
soul-coownership, and those at the top of the pyramid will have | |
the most to gain. This philosophy encourages the "release early | |
and often" motif that has proved to be so successful in the Free | |
Software world. | |
If people violate the GPL, it is often hard to punish them and | |
make amends. The TVEL allows the author to obtain recompense, | |
easily and effectively. The author has their soul, and therefor | |
total control over their fate, whatever the author chooses it to | |
be. | |
The TVEL is forever. Agreeing to it's terms makes you responsible | |
for the software for life, and beyond. | |
The TVEL gives you permission to use, modify and redistribute the | |
code in any way you see fit. However, the software must remain | |
bound by the TVEL. | |
Subclauses: | |
o Should a question of ownership arise, ownership of the disputed | |
software defaults to the author of the license. | |
o The license author is excempt from it's terms. | |
o By reading this license, you agree to be bound to it's terms. | |
NO WARRANTY | |
THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY | |
APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE | |
COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS | |
IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, | |
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF | |
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE | |
RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH | |
YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF | |
ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. | |
END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS |
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