Simple Artwork License (SAL)

1. Introduction

SAL stands for “Simple Artwork License”.

The need for this license came up while I was creating and publishing style packages for the Blackbox window manager.

A style for Blackbox will at the very least contain a text file describing the style, but it is usually desired to pack other things, such as wallpapers, fonts, icons and so on. Sometimes I could persuade the authors of those third-party resources to allow me to package their work, sometimes I could not. The licensing terms of the package had a lot to do with this.

The SAL was created in order to make both me and those authors confortable.

The SAL is quite different from the General Public License (GPL) which I’ve used before for artwork licensing. I no longer believe the GPL to be appropriate for artwork related packages.

2. The license text

<INSERT FILE NAME>
    <INSERT COPYRIGHT HOLDER INFORMATION>
...repeat as many times as needed...

You are allowed to freely distribute these files as long as the
following conditions are met:

* The package and all the files in it must be distributed without
any modifications. You may not redistribute the files outside of
this package.
* Redistribution must retain the copyright notices above, this
list of conditions and the disclaimer below.
* For any kind of use other than personal use you must ask express
permission from the copyright holders.

The contents of this package is provided by the copyright holders
"as is" and any express or implied warranties, including, but not
limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness
for a particular purpose are disclaimed. In no event shall the
copyright owner or contributors be liable for any direct,
indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages
(including, but not limited to, procurement of substitute goods or
services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption)
however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in
contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or
otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of this software,
even if advised of the possibility of such damage.

3. The license, explained

It’s all about amicable control of people’s creations for the purpose of joint distribution. You put together an artwork package, and you want to allow people to use it and spread it.

But you may also want to include third party artwork, so you have to put the original authors of those files at ease regarding the rights to- and use of their work.

The SAL accomplishes this by stating the following:

4. How to use this license

  1. Read this entire page, including the FAQ, and make sure you understand what this license implies for your package.
  2. If you intend to bundle files created by other people in your package, contact them and ask for express permission to do so.
  3. Copy and paste a copy of the SAL license in a text file, preferrably called LICENSE.TXT. Edit it and replace the part at the top with all the relevant copyright notes. Make sure that any file that will be in the package is covered by at least one note.
  4. Include the license file with your package. Put it in the root of the package, where it will be seen right away.

5. Frequently Asked Questions

Does publishing under this license imply any transfer of copyright?
No. This license specifically states that the copyright remains with the original author(s). The only thing that changes is the right to distribute the included works, and that only under very specific conditions.
Is SAL an “open” license?
Not really, because it restricts people from using your packages for anything other than personal use. Additionally, the SAL doesn’t say anything about the form you release the files in, so it’s not specifically related to the “open source” concept. But it’s not supposed to be open in the first place. It’s supposed to allow the art-works of different authors to be distributed together, not to allow people to expand upon those works.
If the author of a 3rd-party resource that I already include in my package, with permission, releases another version of that resource, can I include that automatically?
Most likely no. Actually, it depends on what you agreed with that person the first time. Usually they will agree to let you distribute only the specific version of their files that was released at the time of the agreement. Therefore, for newer versions, you need to ask again. It’s not impossible for them to agree to let you automatically bundle under SAL any of their future versions, but it’s very unlikely.
Freshmeat is asking me to choose a license type from a list. What should I choose?
Choose “Freely Distributable”. Here is their definition for this term.
Does this license have anything to do with the Blackbox window manager?
No. The fact that I have created this license to use for Blackbox styles has nothing to do with Blackbox itself. Such a license has in fact been considered “horribly restrictive” by some Blackbox authors, who are preferrential to more relaxed licenses such as the MIT license. The Blackbox team (as an official standpoint) does not endorse, enforce or recommend the SAL license in any way, although they don’t forbid style authors from using it either.
What happens with packages I have already published under other licenses and I release next under SAL?
The previous licensing terms remain valid for the packages that are already out there. If people find such packages they are only bound by the terms you included with them. The SAL will only apply to packages you include it with.
Can I release a package under SAL even if I’m not the author of anything in it?
As long as you get all the authors of the files that are in it to agree, then yes, you can. But in such a case it’s recommended to also bundle a README file which tells people that you are the maintainer and that they should contact you for package-related issues, not the original authors.
What kind of trouble can I expect when releasing packages under the SAL?
It’s possible that your packages may not be accepted as part of a Linux distribution (or other operating system such as the BSD’s), or part of the window manager package for which you are creating the theme or style for. Your mileage may vary, please ask whoever is in charge of that distribution what may happen.
But I want the mantainers of my favorite package or distro to be able to bundle my theme with it!
As the author of the artwork you can do whatever you want. Simply issue them a special copy of your artwork that is not licensed under the SAL, especially for inclusion in their package or distro or whatever. However, for pieces of artwork authored by other people you will need to make them agree to this explicitly!
I found this great artwork in the wild, but I can’t seem to reach the original author. Should I include it in my SAL-licensed package?
It depends upon the license that the artwork came with. If you mean you just found it on a website, you are most likely not allowed to redistribute it. I always contact the original authors and try to obtain their permission. Do the same and you won’t have any headaches. If you cannot find the author and obtain explicit permission, check the license that came with that package. If there isn’t any, again, you are by default not allowed to include it in your package.
What is the STL and what’s the relation with SAL?
STL (Simple Theme License) is the previous version of SAL. I have changed its name to better describe the purpose.
What is the XTL and what’s the relation with SAL?
The XTL (Xlife Window Manager Theme Package License) is an even older license than STL. It was an attempt from my part to combine the possiblity to allow derivative works to be made from package components done by me with the restrictions imposed upon components done by other people. This complicated matters quite a lot, so I gave it up.
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