# IXTAAT Framework License
# Infinite eXtensible Application Architecture Toolkit

**Version:** 1.0.0
**Effective Date:** 2025-10-16

---

## License Grant

The IXTAAT Framework software is made available under the following terms:

### 1. Permitted Use

You are granted a **non-exclusive, royalty-free license** to:

- ✅ **Use** the IXTAAT Framework for personal or business purposes
- ✅ **Deploy** IXTAAT runtime instances within your organization
- ✅ **Modify** the source code for internal use
- ✅ **Distribute** modified versions internally within your organization
- ✅ **Build applications** on top of IXTAAT and distribute those applications
- ✅ **Study** the source code and learn from it

### 2. Restrictions

You are **NOT permitted** to:

- ❌ **Sell, lease, or rent** the IXTAAT Framework software itself
- ❌ **Offer IXTAAT as a hosted service** (SaaS, PaaS, or similar cloud offerings)
- ❌ **Provide commercial IXTAAT hosting** to third parties
- ❌ **Sublicense** the IXTAAT Framework to others
- ❌ **Remove or modify** license headers or copyright notices

### 3. Hosted Service Restriction (Critical)

**"Hosted Service"** means making the functionality of the IXTAAT Framework available to third parties as a service, including but not limited to:

- Offering IXTAAT runtime clusters as a managed service
- Providing IXTAAT-based infrastructure to external customers
- Operating a multi-tenant IXTAAT platform for commercial purposes
- Charging fees for access to IXTAAT deployments

**Important:** You MAY host applications built on IXTAAT as a service. The restriction applies only to hosting the IXTAAT Framework itself as a service.

**Example - Permitted:**
- Building a CRM application using IXTAAT and selling access to that CRM ✅
- Running IXTAAT internally for your company's microservices ✅

**Example - Prohibited:**
- Selling "IXTAAT Cluster Hosting" to customers ❌
- Offering "Managed IXTAAT Runtime as a Service" ❌

---

## Commercial License

If you wish to:
- Offer IXTAAT as a hosted/managed service
- Receive commercial support and SLAs
- Obtain liability insurance and warranties
- Get priority bug fixes and features
- Remove attribution requirements

**You must obtain a commercial license.** Contact us at:
- **Email:** licensing@ixtaat.com
- **Website:** https://www.ixtaat.com/commercial-license

---

## Open Source Transition

The IXTAAT Framework follows a **delayed open-source model**:

- **Current stable version (N):** Available under this proprietary license
- **Previous stable version (N-1):** Released under **Apache License 2.0** OR **MIT License**

When a new stable version is released, the previous stable version becomes fully open source.

**Example Timeline:**
- **v1.0.0** (Current) - This License (Source-Available)
- **v2.0.0** Released → **v1.0.0** becomes Open Source (Apache 2.0/MIT)
- **v3.0.0** Released → **v2.0.0** becomes Open Source, v1.0.0 remains Open Source

**Open source versions retain the SaaS restriction:** Even when a version becomes open source, the hosted service restriction (Section 2) remains in effect.

---

## Source Availability

The source code for the IXTAAT Framework is made publicly available for:
- Transparency and trust
- Security auditing
- Learning and education
- Contribution opportunities

**This does NOT constitute "open source"** as defined by the Open Source Initiative (OSI). The restrictions above still apply.

---

## Contributions

By contributing to the IXTAAT Framework, you agree that:

1. Your contributions are licensed under the same terms as this license
2. The IXTAAT Framework maintainers may relicense your contributions when transitioning versions to open source
3. You retain copyright to your contributions
4. You grant the IXTAAT Framework project a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, modify, and distribute your contributions

See `CONTRIBUTING.md` for detailed contribution guidelines.

---

## Warranty 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 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.

---

## Copyright Notice

```
Copyright (c) 2024-2025 H-DV - Hoyer Datenverarbeitung
IXTAAT Framework - Infinite eXtensible Application Architecture Toolkit
Website: https://www.ixtaat.com
Source: https://git.h-dv.de/h-dv/ixt.git
All rights reserved.
```

---

## Summary

| Aspect | Status |
|--------|--------|
| Free to use (personal/business) | ✅ Yes |
| Open Source (OSI-compliant) | ❌ No (current version) |
| Source Available | ✅ Yes |
| Modify for internal use | ✅ Yes |
| Sell as hosted service | ❌ No (requires commercial license) |
| Build applications on IXTAAT | ✅ Yes |
| Previous versions open source | ✅ Yes (Apache 2.0/MIT) |

---

**For questions about this license, contact:** licensing@ixtaat.com

**Last Updated:** 2025-10-16
