Modified Attribution License (MAL) v1.0
The Modified Attribution License (MAL) v1.0 is a permissive software license that allows full freedom to use, modify, and distribute software while ensuring proper attribution for unmodified versions. It also allows relicensing of modified versions, making it a flexible alternative to traditional open-source licenses.
📜 License Overview
You Can:
- Use, modify, and distribute the software.
- Sell or license both original and modified versions under any terms.
- Include in open-source or proprietary projects.
You Cannot:
- Remove attribution when distributing the original software.
- Claim the original software as entirely your own without credit.
📌 Key Features
- Full Freedom: Allows commercial and non-commercial use, distribution, and sublicensing.
- Balanced Attribution: Attribution is required for unmodified versions but optional for substantially modified versions.
- Flexible Relicensing: If modified, the resulting software can be relicensed under any terms.
- License Persistence: If unmodified portions of the software are included in a project, this license must be retained for those parts, even if other sections are relicensed.
- Patent Clause for Protection: Contributors agree not to enforce patent claims against users of modified versions.
📖 Full License Text
Modified Attribution License (MAL) v1.0
Copyright (c) [YEAR] [YOUR NAME OR ORGANIZATION]
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, subject to the following conditions:
1. Attribution Requirement
- Attribution must be provided in any distribution of the unmodified Software.
- If the Software has been substantially modified, attribution is encouraged but not required, provided that the modifications are significant and independently creative.
- Minor modifications (such as bug fixes, formatting adjustments, variable renaming, or cosmetic UI changes) do not qualify as substantial modifications and still require attribution.
2. Freedom to Use, Sell, and Distribute the Original Software
- The Software may be sold, distributed, sublicensed, or used in any manner, with or without modification, as long as attribution is provided when distributing an unmodified version.
- The original author(s) must not be removed from the LICENSE file when redistributing the Software in its original form.
3. Freedom to Re-License After Modification
- Derivative works based on this Software may be relicensed under any terms.
- However, if the original Software is included unchanged in a distribution, this license must be retained for those portions, even if different licensing applies to modified sections.
4. No Warranty & Patent Disclaimer
- 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 NON-INFRINGEMENT.
- IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY, ARISING FROM THE USE OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS SOFTWARE.
- This license does not grant any patent rights. By contributing modifications, you agree not to enforce any patent claims related to your modifications against users of this Software.
By using this Software, you agree to these terms.
📌 How to Apply This License
To use this license in your project:
- Download or copy
LICENSE.mdand include it in your repository. -
Mention the license in your
README.md:This project is licensed under the **Modified Attribution License (MAL) v1.0**. See the [LICENSE.md](/Modified-Attribution-License/LICENSE.md) file for details.
📢 Want to Contribute?
If you have suggestions to improve MAL or want to discuss licensing, feel free to open an issue in this repository.
🔗 GitHub Repo: https://github.com/LMArantes/Modified-Attribution-License
🔗 Website: https://LMArantes.github.io/Modified-Attribution-License