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Created 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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