FreeU¶
A FOSS Cooperative. Pay one, pay all.
Collaborating¶
FreeU uses a cooperative model for funding software development for libraries to applications. It consists of an innovative licensing scheme, developer revenue sharing, and a distributed ledger for payments and license tracking.
The FreeU Five Freedoms¶
FreeU expands on the FSF's concept of the four freedoms with a fifth freedom for developers.
- Freedom to run the program as you wish.
- Freedom to change the program.
- Freedom to redistribute copies of the program.
- Freedom to distribute modified copies of the program.
- Freedom from corporate entanglements, if desired.
The FreeU Licenses¶
FreeU is a closed system of five-freedom licenses, plus a paid license:
The FreeU Liberal License¶
- Allows distribution of binaries without source code.
- Source code forks restricted to a FreeU license.
The FreeU CopyLeft License¶
- File-level copyleft license.
- Requires source code changes for derivative works but not collected works.
- Sublicensing restricted to a FreeU CL, SCL, or TSCL license.
The FreeU Strong CopyLeft License¶
- Works-level copyleft license.
- Requires source code distribution for derivative or collected works.
- Closes the "ASP Hole" (like the AGPL).
- Sublicensing restricted to a FreeU SCL or TSCL license.
The FreeU Transparent Strong CopyLeft License¶
This license adds transparency requirements to the FreeU Strong CopyLeft License.
- All copyright assignments must be disclosed.
- All work-for-hire arrangements must be disclosed.
- All non-compete agreements must be disclosed.
- Sublicensing restricted to the FreeU TSCL license.
The FreeU Paid License¶
- Lifts all source code and transparency requirements.
- Paid on a quarterly basis based on computing energy expended.
- Revenue is distributed to all developers based on the license of their works.