Add dual licensing (MIT/GPL) with Palimpsest encouraged

claude · claude · commit 7ef5b3ce30f9 · 2025-11-28T14:36:04.000Z
Licensing structure:
- LICENSE.txt: Overview of dual licensing options
- LICENSE-MIT.txt: Permissive MIT license
- LICENSE-GPL.txt: Copyleft GPL v3.0+ license
- LICENSE-PALIMPSEST.txt: Encouraged ethical framework

Users can choose MIT or GPL based on their needs:
- MIT: Commercial-friendly, minimal restrictions
- GPL: Copyleft, ensures derivative works remain open

Palimpsest License is philosophically encouraged (not required):
- Emphasizes attribution and provenance tracking
- Promotes collaborative improvement
- Encourages ethical use and community benefit
- Aligns with RSR solidarity economics principles

SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT OR GPL-3.0-or-later
diff --git a/vae-normalizer/LICENSE-GPL.txt b/vae-normalizer/LICENSE-GPL.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+
+GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
+Version 3, 29 June 2007
+
+Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. <https://fsf.org/>
+
+Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license
+document, but changing it is not allowed.
+
+                            Preamble
+
+The GNU General Public License is a free, copyleft license for software and
+other kinds of works.
+
+The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed to take
+away your freedom to share and change the works. By contrast, the GNU General
+Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change all
+versions of a program--to make sure it remains free software for all its users.
+
+When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. Our
+General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom to
+distribute copies of free software (and charge for them if you wish), that you
+receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can change the
+software or use pieces of it in new free programs, and that you know you can
+do these things.
+
+To protect your rights, we need to prevent others from denying you these rights
+or asking you to surrender the rights. Therefore, you have certain
+responsibilities if you distribute copies of the software, or if you modify it:
+responsibilities to respect the freedom of others.
+
+For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether gratis or for
+a fee, you must pass on to the recipients the same freedoms that you received.
+You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. And you
+must show them these terms so they know their rights.
+
+Developers that use the GNU GPL protect your rights with two steps: (1) assert
+copyright on the software, and (2) offer you this License giving you legal
+permission to copy, distribute and/or modify it.
+
+For the developers' and authors' protection, the GPL clearly explains that
+there is no warranty for this free software. For both users' and authors' sake,
+the GPL requires that modified versions be marked as changed, so that their
+problems will not be attributed erroneously to authors of previous versions.
+
+The full text of the GNU General Public License v3.0 is available at:
+https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt
+
+By using this software under the GPL license, you agree to the terms and
+conditions set forth in the full GPL v3.0 text.
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+VAE Dataset Normalizer
+Copyright (c) 2024 Joshua Jewell
+
+This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later
+version.
+
+This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
diff --git a/vae-normalizer/LICENSE-MIT.txt b/vae-normalizer/LICENSE-MIT.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+MIT License
+
+Copyright (c) 2024 Joshua Jewell
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/vae-normalizer/LICENSE-PALIMPSEST.txt b/vae-normalizer/LICENSE-PALIMPSEST.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-Palimpsest-0.8
+
+PALIMPSEST LICENSE
+Version 0.8
+
+Copyright (c) 2024 Joshua Jewell
+
+================================================================================
+PREAMBLE
+================================================================================
+
+The Palimpsest License draws its name from ancient manuscripts where earlier
+texts were scraped away to make room for new writing, yet traces of the
+original remained visible beneath. Similarly, this license recognizes that
+all creative works build upon those that came before, and encourages
+transparent attribution of this layered provenance.
+
+This is not a replacement for traditional open source licenses (MIT, GPL, etc.)
+but a complementary ethical framework that encourages:
+
+1. Transparent attribution and provenance tracking
+2. Collaborative improvement over time
+3. Ethical use that benefits the commons
+4. Recognition of all contributors in the chain
+
+================================================================================
+TERMS AND CONDITIONS
+================================================================================
+
+1. ATTRIBUTION CHAIN
+
+   You are encouraged (but not legally required) to:
+
+   a) Maintain a clear record of all modifications and their authors
+   b) Preserve attribution to original authors and significant contributors
+   c) Document the provenance chain in a machine-readable format
+   d) Use SPDX headers and .well-known/provenance.json where applicable
+
+2. COLLABORATIVE IMPROVEMENT
+
+   The spirit of this license encourages:
+
+   a) Sharing improvements back to the community
+   b) Constructive collaboration over competitive forking
+   c) Mentorship of new contributors
+   d) Documentation of lessons learned
+
+3. ETHICAL USE
+
+   Users are encouraged to consider:
+
+   a) The impact of their use on the broader community
+   b) Whether their application aligns with the project's values
+   c) How their modifications might benefit others
+   d) The sustainability of the open source ecosystem
+
+4. TRANSPARENCY
+
+   In the spirit of the palimpsest, where layers remain visible:
+
+   a) Modification history should be preserved (e.g., via Git)
+   b) Significant changes should be documented in CHANGELOG
+   c) Decision-making processes should be transparent
+   d) Governance should be documented and accessible
+
+================================================================================
+LEGAL STATUS
+================================================================================
+
+This license is PHILOSOPHICALLY ENCOURAGED but NOT LEGALLY BINDING.
+
+The software is provided under a separate legal license (MIT, GPL, or other
+SPDX-identified license). The Palimpsest License describes ethical guidelines
+and community norms that complement but do not replace the legal license.
+
+Failure to follow Palimpsest principles does not constitute a license
+violation, but does represent a departure from the project's values.
+
+================================================================================
+SOLIDARITY ECONOMICS
+================================================================================
+
+This project operates under solidarity economics principles:
+
+- Contributions are valued beyond monetary compensation
+- Community benefit takes precedence over individual profit
+- Sustainable funding models are preferred over extractive ones
+- Attribution and recognition are forms of compensation
+
+See FUNDING.yml for ways to support sustainable development.
+
+================================================================================
+ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
+================================================================================
+
+The Palimpsest License was inspired by:
+
+- The Free Software Foundation's philosophy of software freedom
+- The Open Source Initiative's collaborative model
+- The Commons movement's emphasis on shared resources
+- The IndieWeb's principles of data ownership
+- The Contributor Covenant's community standards
+
+================================================================================
+VERSION HISTORY
+================================================================================
+
+0.8 (2024): Initial release - ethical framework established
diff --git a/vae-normalizer/LICENSE.txt b/vae-normalizer/LICENSE.txt
@@ -1,23 +1,41 @@
-SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT OR GPL-3.0-or-later
 
-MIT License
+VAE Dataset Normalizer - Dual License
 
 Copyright (c) 2024 Joshua Jewell
 
-Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
-of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
-in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
-to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
-copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
-furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
-
-The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
-copies or substantial portions of the Software.
-
-THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
-IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
-FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
-AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
-LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
-OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
-SOFTWARE.
+This software is dual-licensed. You may choose to use it under either:
+
+1. MIT License (LICENSE-MIT.txt)
+   - Permissive, minimal restrictions
+   - Commercial use permitted
+   - No copyleft requirements
+
+2. GNU General Public License v3.0 or later (LICENSE-GPL.txt)
+   - Copyleft, derivative works must be open source
+   - Patent protection included
+   - Strong community protection
+
+Choose the license that best fits your use case.
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+PALIMPSEST LICENSE (Philosophically Encouraged)
+
+We encourage contributors and users to consider the Palimpsest License
+(LICENSE-PALIMPSEST.txt) as a complementary ethical framework. The Palimpsest
+License emphasizes:
+
+- Attribution and provenance tracking
+- Collaborative improvement over time
+- Ethical use and community benefit
+- Transparent modification history
+
+While not legally required, adopting Palimpsest principles strengthens the
+commons and ensures sustainable open source development.
+
+See LICENSE-PALIMPSEST.txt for the full text and philosophy.
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+For questions about licensing, open an issue with the "licensing" label.
diff --git a/vae-normalizer/README.adoc b/vae-normalizer/README.adoc
@@ -320,9 +320,31 @@ Run `just validate` for full RSR compliance verification.
 
 == License
 
-MIT License. See link:LICENSE.txt[LICENSE.txt] for details.
+This software is **dual-licensed**. Choose the license that best fits your use case:
 
-SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+[cols="1,2"]
+|===
+|License |Description
+
+|link:LICENSE-MIT.txt[MIT License]
+|Permissive, minimal restrictions, commercial use permitted
+
+|link:LICENSE-GPL.txt[GPL v3.0+]
+|Copyleft, derivative works must be open source, patent protection
+|===
+
+SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT OR GPL-3.0-or-later
+
+=== Palimpsest License (Encouraged)
+
+We encourage adoption of the link:LICENSE-PALIMPSEST.txt[Palimpsest License] as a complementary ethical framework emphasizing:
+
+* Attribution and provenance tracking
+* Collaborative improvement
+* Ethical use and community benefit
+* Transparent modification history
+
+The Palimpsest License is philosophically encouraged but not legally required.
 
 == Related
 
