Sensory Presence License & Legal

Quick Version

The library and modules are release under LGPLv3, and the utilities are released under the GPLv3. If this is unfimiliar to you, this can be roughly summerized by the following in laymen's terms for the library and modules:

  • You can use it all you want for free
  • I am not trying to trick you
  • Do not sue me
  • Do not try to trick others with this
  • This now a very common way of releasing software
  • You are allowed to sell software that uses this library
  • You are allowed to NOT release the source code of your programs that use this library
  • You may manipulate the source code for this library and it's modules to your heart's content - provided chiefly one condition. That is, if you distribute a modified version, you must release the source to those modifications.
  • By using licenses created by the Free Software Foundation, I am not necessarily endorsing any views or opinions of, or actions taken by that organization.

The included utility programs that are released as GPL are mostly on the same terms with the following differences:

  • If you include the source from one of these utilities in your program, then you must release the source to such a program under the GPL as well.

The Wikipedia articles are ok places to start for some more information on the confusion around the LGPL, and GPL.

The full texts of these licenses should be distributed with the software.

A Word to Professionals

While it is perfectly acceptable for casual users of "free and open source" software to simply use it and move on with their life, this is not the case for those of us who have made a proffesion in this field. Often times, far too many people do not pay attention to the license details for the tools they work with, resale, or choose for a client. By this, I do not mean the weaponized legalese, but at least the basic concepts involved.

There are many different ideas about what "free and open source" software is, with many different things being released under different terms for usually very good reasons. Take the time to acquaint yourself with at least the conceptual differences of things like the LGPL, the GPL, BSD and Apache style licenses.

At the risk of over simplification, generally speaking these issues are less of a concern in academia than in the business world. For instance, here in the United States, our society is extreemly hostle towards voluntary free markets of goods and services. To further over simplify, this is generally the result of unceasing efforts by established businesses to levarage our governents for coercion of competitors. Long gone are the days when a single living person is even capabale of being aware of all of the rules. It is in this context, that I, part of a dying breed of entrepreneurially spirited free men, choose to not only present this work to whom ever may find it usefull, but to especially those trying to provide for themselves in the almost dead, romantic, idealistic traditions of honesty, hard work, and self determination.

Copyright

Currently, I, C. Thomas Stover, am the sole copyright owner of this body of work.

Tradmark

The trademark SENSORY PRESENCE has been applied for in the United States.

Third Party Works

This software leverages potentally many other works of software. All the license requirements for such works, have been respected by me, and should be by you as well. None such works are currently included with the source distribution. Nor are they with any binary distribution unless explicitly mentioned.

Additional Licensing

If for any number of possible reasons, you require a special license please contact me to see if it is something that can be resolved.